Army tells industry: Soldiers need more power, but don’t just offer batteries and generators

Breaking Defense | Carley Welch

United States Army ground forces face operational limitations due to severe power deficits across combat formations that constrain the deployment of energy-intensive systems. Brig. Gen. Troy Denomy warned at the GVSETS conference that legacy platforms like the M1A2 Abrams and Bradley Fighting Vehicles lack exportable power to sustain continuous drone and command network recharges.

This capability shortfall forces tactical commanders to meter reconnaissance flights, directly degrading battlefield awareness and operational momentum. While auxiliary generators supply power, Chief Technology Officer Alex Miller noted their acoustic, thermal, and visual signatures expose units to enemy targeting. Adding extra batteries also increases dismounted soldier workload without resolving long-term energy density requirements. Consequently, the Army is urging defense contractors to develop fuel cells, advanced power distribution systems, and liquid fuel alternatives while integrating expanded exportable power into emerging platforms like the XM30, M1E3 Abrams, and heavy Infantry Squad Vehicle variants.

Comment

Tactical power generation across forward mechanised formations creates a sustainment bottleneck that directly competes with Class III fuel supply lines. Operating high-draw combat electronics alongside tactical unmanned systems on platforms like the M1A2 Abrams exhausts onboard alternator output, forcing reliance on stationary field generators. This electrical deficit turns tactical battery charging into a signature-heavy burden that complicates Forward Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP) operations.

At the brigade level, this sustainment friction forces combat teams to establish larger, more vulnerable mobile power nodes closer to the forward line of own troops. Integrating hydrogen fuel cells or high-voltage export architectures into the XM30 infantry combat vehicle will require retooling tactical supply trains traditionally structured for bulk petroleum delivery. Consequently, US Theater Sustainment Commands will have to manage dual-payload energy resupply networks for XM30 maneuver units, expanding the physical footprint of tactical supply nodes.

Strategic Question for Discussion

If the XM30 infantry combat vehicle successfully transitions to high-output fuel cell architectures, how will tactical sustainment planners reconcile the dual-payload logistics burden of simultaneous liquid petroleum and hydrogen resupply in contested environments?

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