Saft has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract from Lockheed Martin to provide Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for Advanced Extremely High Frequency communication satellites to be used by the U.S. Air Force Space Command. The order continues Saft's extensive partnership with Lockheed Martin and experience in providing high-power Li-ion solutions to the satellite industry.

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency 5 and 6 series satellites (AEHF) will relay secure communications for the U.S. Armed Forces and international militaries, including the Netherlands, the British Armed Forces and the Canadian Armed Forces.

The AEHF system is the successor to the existing five-satellite Milstar constellation and provides enhanced global, durable, and highly secure communications capabilities for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms.

Saft will supply high-energy VL 48E Li-ion cells with a 3.65V, 48Ah package to power the satellites with light-weight, reliable technology necessary to withstand long-life space environments.

"Saft's Li-ion solutions provide critical power support to advanced satellite communications systems throughout the world – Saft is excited to be providing our extremely successful satellite lithium-ion technology for these important US military communications satellites" said Annie Sennet, General Manager Saft Space and Defence division, Cockeysville.

"The Lockheed Martin partnership enables Saft to add more of our reliable Li-ion batteries in space supporting the armed forces with reliable communications."

For Saft, this order represents another important increase in the production of satellite batteries and adds to Saft's market share in the satellite industry. More than 100 satellites currently in orbit today (including 77 GEO commercial or military telecommunication satellites) rely on Saft Li-ion batteries which have logged over 1.35 MWh in space.

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide three AEHF satellites and the mission control segment to the U.S. Air Force.