New Benchmark report details the role of batteries in global military applications

For better or for worse, much of the research and investment devoted to any emerging technology is invariably driven by potential military applications. The US military has been an early adopter of new battery tech for various applications, including EV charging.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a specialist in the “mine-to-grid supply chain,” has released a new Special Issue on the topic of battery demand for defense applications.

Benchmark reports that global battery demand for defense applications was 4.3 GWh in 2025. Drones accounted for 40% of this figure. Soldier power (radios, GPS, night vision, lasers, etc) was the second-largest segment, representing 29% of demand. Defense demand remains a very small part of the global battery market, but it is a market that is “geopolitically charged and increasingly important.”

“Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, drones have evolved from support systems into primary battlefield assets,” Benchmark reports. “China has the world’s largest and most vertically integrated drone industry. As a result, modern drone warfare is deeply reliant on Chinese-origin inputs across upstream critical mineral, battery and magnet production.

“These chokepoints create a structural vulnerability, meaning that any supply disruption would have immediate battlefield consequences. The US and Europe face a significant challenge in reducing reliance on Chinese supply chains without undermining their ability to scale production.”

In 2025, most drones used NCM or LCO chemistries. Benchmark forecasts that high-nickel NCM cell chemistries will become dominant over the next decade.

“Batteries were once seen as an energy transition story. Today, they are just as much a defense and security story,” said Bryan Bille, Benchmark’s Lead Policy and Geopolitical Analyst. “From drones to soldier power systems, batteries now sit at the heart of modern military capability—making them a critical dual-use technology and placing battery supply chains squarely in the geopolitical crossfire between the US and China.”

“Drones have clearly risen to be the most influential aspect of modern military battery demand,” said Will Roberts, Benchmark’s Automotive Research Lead. “Major militaries are still just getting started in their strategic investments relating to them, which is about to set off a flurry of activity to domesticate supply chains.”

Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence