A Bengaluru-based venture has produced a rugged tactical battery that it is now planning to sell to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) forces in Europe. The heavy-duty power bank — the ‘Pravaig Field Pack’ — is portable, weighs 14 kg, and is of great utility to the digitally connected modern military and special forces personnel, who have to operate in high-risk zones like Ukraine and Libya while using gadgets that require constant power back-up.
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“These batteries are designed, engineered and made in India. This supply marks a major shift in the defence landscape of India — a tipping point in the reversal of India’s high technology defence industry, from users to developers, from importers to exporters,” said Pravaig’s Siddhartha Bagri.
In a statement, Pravaig said that the Field Pack can be used to charge a MacBook 60 times.
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The Field Pack can be used to energise a military person's field duties and it can be used to deploy remote sensors. A powerful tactical battery can be used even to operate larger military equipment like drones and even coordinate tactical operations involving multiple weapons systems.
"At this time, we are making the prototypes and we are going to present them at Eurosatory 2022 in Paris, which is a global event of defence and security professionals. So many countries will have the opportunity to see this technology. But our goal in the future is to equip NATO forces," said Hippolyte Berger, who is part of the team that is promoting the Pravaig Field Pack.
As illustrated by the ongoing war in Ukraine, digital coordination is now part of the battlefield readiness of modern soldiers and special forces personnel. This calls upon modern military forces to train soldiers in the use of electronic platforms even during live conflicts. The Pravaig Field Pack is one such tactical battery that aims to support the operational ability of modern soldiers in battlefield conditions.