Conformal Wearable Batteries

The Department of the Army Acquisition Support Center PEO Soldier established this Master IDIQ for conformal wearable batteries on May 13, 2021, but ordering closed on May 12, 2024; the vehicle is no longer accepting new task orders. This IDIQ is designed to source semi-flexible lithium-ion batteries that power the Net Warrior suite, Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), and Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) systems while providing recharging capability to device batteries, with the goal of extending soldier mission time without battery resupply and eliminating the need for per-device battery swaps.

All four awarded task orders issued on the same day in May 2021, and no new orders have been placed since. Combined potential value across the four orders totals $4.9 million, with $4.5 million obligated (93% of combined potential). The originating solicitation contemplated demand for up to 200,000 batteries under the contract lifecycle, though actual awarded volumes are not disclosed in the vehicle record.

Competition under the IDIQ was diffuse: Navitas Advanced Solutions Group LLC holds the largest single order at $3.4 million (70% of combined potential value), while Bren-Tronics Defense LLC, Inventus Power (Illinois) LLC, and Ultralife Corp. each received one order valued between $359 thousand and $699 thousand. All four task orders are unrestricted (no set-aside). PEO Soldier is the sole customer agency.

All four orders are firm fixed price and designated for "CWB FAT related cost" or conformal wearable battery systems. Three orders have completed or are completing soon (ultimate completion dates between December 2021 and July 2024); one order to Inventus Power extends to February 8, 2026, suggesting ongoing development or performance under period-of-performance extension. The vehicle's ordering window has closed, making it unavailable for new proposals, though task-order execution continues under the existing awards.

The Conformal Wearable Battery (CWB) is a centralized energy source that can power the Net Warrior (NW) suite of electronic devices, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), and the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW), while also providing recharging capability to the batteries in these devices. The CWB has the ability to: (1) increase the mission time without having to stop for battery resupply; and (2) eliminate the need to swap out the batteries in each device. The "Conformal" in the title refers to the requirement for the battery to be semi-flexible in order to conform to body and soldier-worn equipment location constraints.