Johan Andersson, chief commercial officer at UK battery manufacturer Volklec, explains why tightening NDAA compliance in the United States should be a wake-up call for the UK and European defence sectors.
“The USA has sent a clear signal to its defence supply chain: batteries of uncertain origin are no longer acceptable in critical military systems. Under the latest National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), Washington is tightening restrictions around batteries and components linked to foreign entities, forcing contractors to prove where their supply chains truly begin.
“Battery provenance in the US has moved beyond a procurement detail or sustainability consideration – it is now a matter of defence readiness, operational resilience and strategic industrial control. US defence contractors are already auditing their battery supply chains: where cells are made, where critical materials originate, who controls manufacturing and where compliance exposure may lie.
“The UK and allied nations should treat this as a warning shot. If one of our closest NATO allies is already acting, when will we?
“Every autonomous platform, soldier system, UAV, tactical communications device and hybrid military vehicle runs on battery cells – and the battery determines endurance, reliability, payload, thermal signature, deployment flexibility and mission duration. In the field, better battery performance can mean fewer battery changes, lower carried weight, longer operational reach and reduced exposure for personnel. In autonomous systems, it can determine whether a platform can complete its mission at all.
“Batteries are the foundation of modern defence capability, yet with more than 90% of cells made abroad, manufacturing and supply sit predominantly in the hands of international competitors. In contrast, Western Europe still lacks assured, defence-ready cylindrical cell manufacturing capability at commercial scale.
“That is a major strategic vulnerability. For years, the defence sector has focused on platform capability, systems integration and operational performance – all critical, but the power source that enables them has not had the same strategic attention. As platforms become more autonomous, mobile, connected and electrified, it’s time to rethink those priorities.
“A British-assembled battery pack is not the same as a sovereign battery supply chain – a distinction that must sit at the heart of how UK Defence, defence primes and pack builders assess future capability. A system can be integrated, packaged and marketed as British while the cells within are sourced from overseas supply chains that may not meet future procurement expectations. Sovereign assurance starts at cell level, not at final assembly.
“The gap to full upstream capability is wide: raw materials, R&D, cell manufacturing, logistics, testing, recycling and the wider ecosystem that turns a cell into reliable operational capability. Without control of that ecosystem, the UK remains exposed to supply disruption and price volatility.
“This is where the new US compliance direction becomes especially important for NATO partners. The United States is the largest defence market in the world. If UK and NATO defence companies aspire to supply into that market, they will need to demonstrate much greater control over their supply chains. That means knowing where their batteries come from, choosing trusted local suppliers and being able to prove compliance from cell to system.
“This problem cannot be solved overnight. Qualifying new suppliers, validating cell formats, building manufacturing capacity, developing testing capability and establishing defence-grade assurance all take years. The UK MoD, NATO and allied nations need to begin now – waiting until a compliance deadline, supply shock or geopolitical crisis forces action would leave defence companies with fewer options and less time to respond.
“The NDAA proves there is political will in Washington to strengthen sovereign industrial capacity before a crisis forces it. The technology exists and the need is clear. What is missing is the decision to treat UK battery cell manufacturing as a strategic capability in its own right.
“At Volklec, we are building UK-based cylindrical cell manufacturing for defence, industrial and mobility applications where trusted origin, repeatable performance and supply-chain assurance matter. Our focus is not only producing cells domestically but helping establish the wider industrial base needed to support secure, scalable and trusted battery supply – across manufacturing, logistics, testing, assurance and future innovation – so the UK can turn cell production into operational advantage.
“This is not about isolationism. NATO’s strength has always come from trusted collaboration between allied nations and the companies active within them, and collaboration is strongest when partners bring resilient, assured and strategically valuable capabilities to the table. For the UK, sovereign battery manufacturing can become one of those capabilities.
“Cross-border programmes and interoperability should become the new norm, capturing the economies of scale that single-country efforts cannot. No nation acting alone can build a resilient battery ecosystem if every platform and application relies on a separate value chain.
“Defence is entering an era where power and energy matter as much as propulsion, communications or weapons systems. The countries that control their battery supply chains will have the freedom to innovate, adapt and supply; those that do not will remain dependent on competitors for one of the most critical inputs in modern defence. If our NATO allies are already treating battery supply chains as a security priority, the UK must do the same.
“Sovereign cell manufacturing is now a prerequisite for defence resilience, industrial competitiveness and continued access to allied defence markets – and the window to act is closing. Customers locked into single-source dependency are already looking for alternatives, and a queue is forming for trusted, sovereign and allied battery supply. Those who move early will secure capacity, qualify suppliers and lock in supply for the next decade. Those who wait will find the most credible routes to resilience already allocated.
“Three steps now: map battery cell provenance across UK and European defence programmes; qualify trusted allied cell suppliers as a priority; and treat domestic cell manufacturing as a strategic capability – one that underpins operational readiness, supply-chain security and future access to US and allied defence markets.
“To build long-term defence industrial resilience, the UK and its European allies must map battery cell provenance across their defence programmes, qualify trusted allied cell suppliers, and treat domestic cell manufacturing as a strategic capability – one that underpins operational readiness, supply-chain security and future access to US and allied defence markets.”
For more information about Volklec and its sovereign battery manufacturing capabilities, visit www.volklec.com.
