LIS Energy

Li-S Energy has kept its defence collaboration partner unnamed, but the details they’ve provided narrow the field considerably. The company described a defence prime with more than 20 years of experience delivering integrated systems across air, land and maritime, with operations in the U.S., Europe and Australia. When you line that profile against the global players, BAE Systems stands out as the most logical fit.

BAE ticks all the boxes. It is active across all three domains, with major Australian programs including the Hunter-class frigates in Adelaide, armoured vehicles, and support for the F-35 and Hawk training systems. It also has a significant local footprint with around 5,500 staff, making it one of the ADF’s largest and most entrenched suppliers. That scale and integration capacity gives it both the incentive and the ability to test and adopt advanced technologies like Li-S Energy’s batteries.

BAE also has a clear strategic interest in energy storage. Its programs increasingly demand lightweight, safe, and high-density power solutions—exactly where Li-S batteries excel. Obvious applications include longer-endurance drones, soldier power systems, quieter auxiliary power in naval vessels and submarines, and hybrid/electric drive in armoured vehicles. Each of these areas is an active focus for BAE globally, which makes the technology fit highly credible.

The likely timeframe follows a staged adoption pathway. In 2024–2025, we are in the validation stage, with test cells already supplied for evaluation under defence-standard conditions. From 2025–2026, expect small-batch integration into UAS and soldier power prototypes, contracts that could equate to $5–10 million annually. From 2027 onwards, if validation is successful, adoption into ADF programs would begin, scaling into the tens of millions per year. Longer term, success in Australia could see Li-S batteries flow into BAE’s wider U.S. and European programs, opening the door to contracts worth hundreds of millions annually.

While Li-S Energy has not disclosed the name, the profile aligns too neatly with BAE Systems to overlook. If the current testing proves successful, this partnership could shift from modest pilot contracts into a transformational revenue stream over the coming years.