The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program is shifting from prototype testing toward larger production runs, but officials are confronting a persistent challenge: a shortage of batteries that meet strict NDAA compliance standards. On May 13 at the XPONENTIAL 2026 conference, government and industry leaders discussed plans to field thousands of small unmanned aircraft systems while enforcing new supply-chain restrictions.
An Emerging Energy Bottleneck
Section 842 of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act is accelerating the move away from Chinese components. Battlefield experience from Ukraine has highlighted how critical batteries have become. Small drone teams often cycle through 10 to 12 packs per day, with individual flights typically lasting 20 to 40 minutes. The resulting “energy bottleneck” has increased pressure on drone manufacturers and defense contractors to find domestic or allied sources that satisfy traceability, country-of-origin, and regulatory requirements.
Sixfold Growth in Four Months
Titan Batteries, based in Pocatello, has emerged as one supplier working to meet that demand. The company, which began more than a decade ago building batteries for hobby drones in a basement, now produces NDAA-compliant packs for defense-related small unmanned aerial systems. It sources cells from suppliers, including Amprius and Molicel, and integrates them with proprietary battery management systems and chargers.
In just the past four months, Titan says it has increased its worldwide headcount sixfold. Production capacity at its main Pocatello facility now exceeds 10,000 completed packs per month.
On May 2, International Drone Day, Titan opened its first European production facility in Tilburg, Netherlands. The site is intended to serve NATO-aligned customers more efficiently and shorten delivery times.
Titan has plans to continue expanding its operations.
Lawmakers and Local Leaders Tour Facility
Last week, the company hosted state and local leaders for a tour of its operations. Visitors included The Honorable Tanya Burgoyne, Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough, staff representatives from the offices of Rep. Mike Simpson, Sen. Jim Risch, and Sen. Mike Crapo, as well as leaders from Idaho State University. The visit offered a look at the company’s high-tech production lines and its role in expanding advanced manufacturing in the region.
Role in the Drone Dominance Program
Titan is currently supplying batteries to roughly one-third of the competitors participating in the Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Gauntlet. The team shared that close collaboration with drone makers is essential. Titan’s engineers work directly with their counterparts at drone companies to optimize weight, EMI shielding, voltage curves, and thermal behavior together. Many of Titan’s engineers are themselves experienced drone pilots and builders.
Several other U.S. firms, including Upgrade Energy, MaxAmps, Packet Digital, and KULR Technology, also produce batteries for defense drones. As the NDAA rules take hold, companies like Titan are scaling to support the broader effort to build a more resilient North American and allied industrial base for unmanned systems.
