TUCSON, Ariz. – June 24, 2026 – Sion Power has completed flight testing of its Licerion® Strike lithium-metal battery pack, which incorporates 140% more pack-level energy density than conventional lithium-ion under identical operating conditions. The testing took place on the Astro Max unmanned aircraft platform with various payloads and delivered one hour of mission endurance.
“Delivering 140% more pack-level energy density than conventional lithium-ion is what unlocks performance gains like this,” said Pamela Fletcher, chief executive officer of Sion Power. “Reducing system weight while increasing available energy is how you get to 1 hour of mission endurance. Our team delivered that, and Licerion Strike is ready to deploy.”
Performance Results*
| Metric | Conventional Li-Ion | Licerion® Strike |
| Energy Density | 151 Wh/kg | 364 Wh/kg |
| Pack Mass | 2.10 kg | 1.30 kg |
| Peak Discharge Capability | 120 A | 200 A |
| Pack Capacity | 14.6 Ah | 20.6 Ah |
| Flight Time | 33 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
*Results are specific to Astro Max drone platform testing with an SL8 lithium-ion battery pack.
The Licerion Strike battery pack maintained the same form factor as the incumbent battery system, enabling drop-in installation replacement without airframe redesign or major platform modifications.
Why It Matters
As mission requirements grow, so does the energy burden on unmanned platforms. AI processing, autonomous navigation, secure communications and electronic warfare payloads all compete directly with propulsion for available energy. A 140% pack energy density increase can be deployed for several advancements on UAV missions, including hover time, range, payload and maneuvering.
“Energy is the constraint that shapes every tradeoff on a UAS platform,” Fletcher said. “When you solve it at the pack level, operators have choices they didn’t have before: longer ISR windows, heavier sensors, more capable electronics, all without changing the aircraft.”
Market Focus and Next Steps
“The National Defense Authorization Act establishes the U.S. Department of War’s mandate to build a domestic battery supply chain,” said Mitch Hourtienne, chief commercial officer at Sion Power. “With more than 25 years of lithium-metal research and development and a Tucson-based manufacturing platform, Sion Power is strategically positioned to support this initiative and meet market demand.”
Target applications include unmanned aerial systems, loitering munitions, ISR platforms, autonomous logistics drones, high-altitude and space platforms and autonomous maritime systems.