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Forward Operating Base (FOB) Power Solutions
How to size, deploy, and sustain power at a forward operating base — from a 4-person patrol post to a 50-person company-level FOB — without diesel, without fuel convoys, and without a thermal or acoustic signature broadcasting your position.
How much power does a forward operating base need?
A 4-person patrol base typically consumes 2,000–4,000 Wh per day. A 12-person company outpost (COP) consumes 8,000–15,000 Wh. A 50-person FOB with full comms, lighting, medical, and water purification consumes 40,000–80,000 Wh per day. The exact figure depends on whether the base runs cooling, the duration of generator-grade loads, and the climate. The right power architecture is a stack of distributed SunCase units rather than a single centralized generator — distribution is survivability.
Why distributed battery power beats a single FOB generator
| Factor | Single diesel generator | Distributed SunCase + solar |
|---|---|---|
| Single point of failure | One mortar / one mechanical fault = base goes dark | One unit lost = remaining stack continues |
| Acoustic / thermal signature | Broadcasts position 24/7 | Silent, minimal IR |
| Fuel resupply | Convoy required, vulnerable, expensive | Solar + vehicle DC + occasional grid top-up |
| Indoor / underground use | Unsafe, requires venting | Safe — used in trenches, bunkers, underground medical |
| Maintenance | Regular oil, filters, fuel, mechanical service | Minimal — no moving parts |
| Scalability | Buy a bigger generator | Add another unit; daisy-chain up to 4 units = 20 kWh |
| Hot-swap during operations | Generator down = base down | Replace a depleted unit without dropping the load (UPS) |
Sized FOB configurations: 4 person → 50 person
Tier 1 — 4-person patrol base / observation post
Daily load: 2,000–4,000 Wh — radios, ATAK end-user devices, single Starlink, navigation, NVG/optic charging, small lighting.
Recommended:
• 1× SunCase 2425 (2.5 kWh, 64 lbs)
• 1× NUESolar 150 panel (600–750 Wh/day)
• Optional: 1× SunCase 605 (550 Wh) as backup / dismount carry
Sustainment: Indefinite in any daylight theater. Recharges from vehicle DC during patrol return.
Tier 2 — 12-person company outpost (COP)
Daily load: 8,000–15,000 Wh — multi-radio comms suite, 2× Starlink, drone team operations, perimeter sensors, LED lighting, basic medical equipment, power tools.
Recommended:
• 2× SunCase 3651 (5 kWh each, daisy-chained = 10 kWh)
• 2–3× NUESolar 150 panels (1,200–2,250 Wh/day)
• 1× SunCase 1213 (1.3 kWh) for medical / mobile / contingency
Sustainment: Continuous operation with solar; AC top-up needed only during multi-day overcast in the worst-case configuration.
Tier 3 — 50-person company-level FOB
Daily load: 40,000–80,000 Wh — full TOC comms suite, base perimeter security and lighting, billet lighting and device charging, field kitchen support, medical bay (ventilators, monitors, lighting), water purification, vehicle maintenance, drone team operations.
Recommended:
• NUE Trailer NUE-12 or NUE-15 (40,960 Wh / ~40 kWh, 24,000–30,000 W loads)
• Plus 4–6× SunCase 3651 distributed across functions
• 8–12× NUESolar 150 panels for daytime regeneration
• SunCase 605 / 1213 units issued to dismount patrols and drone teams
Sustainment: Solar-regenerative architecture. Diesel generator retained as deep-backup only — primary power is silent, distributed, and survivable.
The NUE Trailer — battalion-scale portable power
The NUE Platform Trailer extends the SunCase architecture to FOB and forward-base scale. Configurations from 20.5 kWh (NUE-6) to 40.9 kWh (NUE-15), with continuous load capacity from 12,000 W to 30,000 W. The same LiFePO4 prismatic cells, the same multi-source recharging, the same EMI shielding — purpose-built for tow-behind deployment to a base or expeditionary site.
| Trailer Model | Capacity | Continuous Load | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUE-6 | 20,480 Wh (20.5 kWh) | 12,000 W | Small COP, mobile field hospital, comms relay |
| NUE-9 | 40,960 Wh (40.9 kWh) | 18,000 W | Company FOB, vehicle maintenance bay |
| NUE-12 | 40,960 Wh (40.9 kWh) | 24,000 W | Mid-size FOB with full TOC |
| NUE-15 | 40,960 Wh (40.9 kWh) | 30,000 W | Battalion-level FOB with cooling and water purification |
Trailer EW load runtimes
| EW load | Avg watts | NUE-6 | NUE-9 | NUE-12 | NUE-15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WiSP (lightweight EW) | 500 W | 40.96 hrs | 81.92 hrs | 81.92 hrs | 81.92 hrs |
| LRCT | 340 W | 60.24 hrs | 120.47 hrs | 120.47 hrs | 120.47 hrs |
| Pulsar | 900 W | 22.76 hrs | 45.51 hrs | 45.51 hrs | 45.51 hrs |
| LRST Block 1 | 3,500 W | 3.43 hrs | 5.14 hrs | 6.86 hrs | 8.57 hrs |
| LRST Block 2 | 1,400 W | 8.57 hrs | 12.86 hrs | 17.14 hrs | — |
What does an FOB actually need to power?
| Function | Typical load | Daily energy | Critical? |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOC comms suite (radios, Starlink, networking, laptops) | 400–800 W avg | 10,000–18,000 Wh | Mission-critical |
| Perimeter security (cameras, motion sensors, alarms) | 150–300 W avg | 3,500–7,000 Wh | Mission-critical |
| Lighting (LED tactical, interior) | 200–500 W avg | 2,000–6,000 Wh | Mission-critical at night |
| Medical bay (monitors, lighting, refrigeration) | 300–800 W avg | 5,000–15,000 Wh | Life safety |
| Drone team operations | varies | 2,000–4,000 Wh per team | Mission-critical |
| Water purification (small unit) | 500–1,500 W intermittent | 3,000–8,000 Wh | Sustainability |
| Vehicle maintenance / power tools | 1,000–2,000 W intermittent | 4,000–10,000 Wh | Operational |
| Tent inflation / setup | 600–1,200 W brief | ~500 Wh | Setup |
| Field kitchen (small appliances) | 500–1,500 W intermittent | 3,000–8,000 Wh | Quality of life |
Real deployments — where this is already running
200+Combat missions powered in Ukraine
30+Ukrainian brigades equipped with NUE
15+Medical stabilization points using NUE
20+U.S. & NATO programs validated
NUE FOB-scale deployments are already validated across:
- Bakhmut Tactical Operations Center — running TOC comms during active combat
- Underground medical stabilization points — battery-only is the only safe option indoors
- Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia field hospitals — sustained operations through grid disruption
- Fairchild AFB Comms Squadron — portable 5G network deployment
- Fairchild AFB SERE training — EW trials
- WA Air National Guard — perimeter security
- U.S. Naval Academy — multi-year drone exercise power, paired with leading technology providers
- 2nd Marine Division, 25th Infantry Division (Hawaii), 1st Armored Division, 7th ID Alaska
- Ft. Huachuca Military Intelligence units
- British Army UAS teams, Italian Army paratroopers, Estonian autonomous weapons program
Cold weather, hot weather, and the Arctic FOB
The Arctic is now a contested military environment, and standard lithium chemistries fail there. The SunCase Arctic variant operates to -40°F (-40°C) using heating elements wrapped around the LiFePO4 cells and satellite-grade insulation derived from space applications. NUE originally engineered the cold-weather technology for telecom batteries operating at -40°C — that capability is now available for Arctic FOB deployment in NORTHCOM and EUCOM AORs.
Thermal signature management at the FOB
SunCase units produce far less heat than a generator, but no battery system is fully invisible to thermal optics. NUE's published guidance:
- Warm climates: SunCase heat mixes well with ambient and is easy to mask under standard tarps and overhead concealment.
- Cold climates: SunCase heat contrasts with cold ground and may require a cloaking case for higher-threat environments. NUE has demonstrated cloaking solutions for the SunCase line.
- Solar panels: NUE military-grade solar does not reflect or shatter like glass panels. Some thermal mitigation is possible but reduces production; in higher-threat environments, panels are deployed at distance from the battery stack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a SunCase replace the generator at a 4-person patrol base?
Yes. A SunCase 2425 with a NUESolar 150 panel covers a 4-person patrol base indefinitely in daylight, eliminating fuel convoys, generator noise, and thermal signature. This is one of NUE's most deployed configurations in Ukraine.
Q: How much fuel does a battery + solar architecture save at an FOB?
The exact saving depends on baseline generator runtime, but DoD has historically estimated fuel costs delivered downrange at $400+ per gallon when the full convoy and security cost is included. Eliminating a 5 kW generator running 12 hours a day removes roughly 4–6 gallons of fuel demand daily — and removes the convoy that delivers it.
Q: What happens when one unit in a stacked configuration fails?
The remaining stack continues to carry the load. NUE supports daisy-chaining up to 4 units (20 kWh distributed), with 20ms UPS transfer time and hot-swap capability — meaning a depleted unit can be replaced without dropping the load. This is a fundamental survivability advantage over a single centralized generator.
Q: Can the SunCase 3651 power a Starlink terminal at a FOB long-term?
Yes. A Starlink terminal averages around 100W. A single SunCase 3651 (5 kWh) runs Starlink for 50 hours from a single charge. Pair with one NUESolar 150 panel and Starlink runs continuously in daylight.
Q: What's the largest portable power configuration NUE has deployed?
At the unit level, three stacked SunCase 3651 units delivering 15 kWh have powered brigade-level jamming over a 20 km radius in Ukraine. At the trailer level, the NUE-15 delivers 40.9 kWh continuous with 30,000 W load capacity.
Q: Does the SunCase work at altitude?
Yes. LiFePO4 cells are not pressure-sensitive at the altitudes of any operational deployment, and the SunCase enclosure is rated for transport and use across the range of mountain operations. MIL-STD-810 Method 500.6 (Low Pressure / Altitude) is on the formal compliance roadmap.
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