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MILITARY TECHNOLOGY (MILTECH) is the world's leading international tri-service defence monthly magazine in the English language. MILITARY TECHNOLOGY is "Required Reading for Defence Professionals". Follow us on Twitter: MILTECH1

28 January 2015

NDIA SO/LIC 2015: Reliable Off Grid Power for Special Forces

Modern Special Forces systems are becoming ever more power-hungry. Optimum soldier safety and operability depend upon reliable power supplies.

Conventional solutions are limited: Batteries alone cannot meet the requirements in multi-day missions, forcing soldiers to carry large and heavy spare batteries – weight and volume they cannot use for water, food or ammunition. Generators require maintenance and produce detectable signatures. Solar modules are weather dependent. SFC Energy solutions on the basis of direct-methanol-fuel-cells are a silent, lightweight, non-detectable alternative.


Fuel cells recharge batteries fully automatically. Thanks to the high energy density of their fuel (30 times higher than that of lead batteries and seven times higher than that of li-ion batteries) soldiers can carry along much power at minimum weight and volume. Intelligent power management enables hybrid operation with other energy sources, e.g. solar panels.

Portable Power for Fielded Missions - SFC Energy Network

Fuel cells enable 80 % weight savings in fielded missions. The SFC energy network consisting of the portable JENNY 600S fuel cell and the SFC Power Manager is a man portable, flexible fuel cell system. It supplies 24/7 reliable power without emissions or detectable signature. It powers electric devices directly. Operation in combination with the SFC Power Manager enables use of different power sources and parallel charging of up to 4 batteries.

Power for Military Vehicles and Fielded Missions - EMILY Fuel Cell

Communication, sensing and weapon systems require a continuous power supply. In the vehicle engine starts cause cover loss, emissions, fuel consumption, and component wear. Fielded forces face similar problems: They must carry along heavy batteries. The EMILY fuel cell provides reliable power in multi-day missions. It recharges batteries fully automatically on demand, 24/7, in any weather, without requiring user attention.

Intelligent Power Management - SFC Power Manager

In the field soldiers want to use any available power sources to operate any kind of device they need. This requires intelligent power management. The SFC Power Manager can easily be integrated into existing systems to simplify power logistics and reduce overall power system weight, while at the same time increasing operation efficiency. With the Power Manager soldiers can draw power from any available source including batteries, vehicle power, solar, and fuel cells. The intelligent and configurable system automatically adapts its output voltage to the requirements of the connected systems. Soldiers can use the Power Manager for recharging batteries or for directly operating devices.

SFC Power Manager

SFC Energy Fuel Cells
SFC Energy fuel cell products are used by numerous international defense organizations. SFC Energy has been cooperating closely with German Bundeswehr for over 10 years. It is the world’s first company with a fuel cell fully approved for use by the German Bundeswehr. SFC Energy has sold over 30,000 fuel cell systems in defense and security, off-grid industry and consumer applications worldwide. 

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