How Packet Digital Is Scaling Domestic Drone Battery Manufacturing

December 7, 2025

Packet Digital recently announced it has been awarded up to $50 million through the Department of Defense’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. This award will drive the development and production of advanced, high-performance batteries for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), supporting the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, and Special Operations Command.

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Packet Digital CEO Terri Zimmerman breaks down the company’s push to expand U.S.-based production of advanced lithium-ion batteries for military unmanned aircraft systems.

She discusses new investments, manufacturing plans at the Badland Batteries facility in North Dakota, and why domestic energy-storage capability is becoming a mission-critical requirement for future UAS operations. Zimmerman also offers insight into engineering challenges, supply-chain constraints, and the performance demands shaping the next generation of drone power systems.

Subscribe to the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify .

Sponsored by: Omniseal Solutions and PTC Arena