Portable Power for Military Drone & Counter-UAS Operations

Drone warfare is battery warfare. Counter-drone warfare is battery warfare. This page is the field reference for the power side of both.

Why drone warfare is battery warfare

A modern drone team consumes more electricity than any other small unit on the battlefield. A single FPV strike sortie cycles 4–8 drone batteries; a recon mission cycles 6–12; a sustained drone team running 8 hours can burn through 30+ battery charges plus controllers, goggles, ground stations, and comms. The unit that runs out of charged batteries stops flying. The unit that stops flying loses the contact.

NUE has spent four years embedded with Ukrainian drone formations — from the first drone team in May 2022 through the 2024 Ukrainian incursion into Kursk. Over 1,000 NUE units are currently in active combat use across HUR units, SBU Alpha and Omega, Magyar Birds, Kraken, Azov, the International Legion, and dozens of brigade-level formations including the 3rd Storm, 5th Assault, 92nd Assault, and 80th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades. The product has been resupplied to frontline drone teams via logistics drones in zones of denial.

1,000+NUE units in active Ukrainian combat
May 2022First drone team deployment
31FPV batteries charged per SunCase 3651
20 kmBrigade-level cUAS coverage NUE has powered

How many drone batteries can a portable power station charge?

A NUE SunCase 2425 (2.5 kWh) charges approximately 16 standard 160-Wh-class FPV or recon drone batteries before needing recharge. A SunCase 3651 (5 kWh) charges 31. A 1213 (1.3 kWh) handles 8 charges. Add solar input (1 kW on the 1213/2425, 1.8 kW on the 3651) and a unit becomes effectively unlimited in daylight, sustaining a drone team indefinitely without fuel resupply.
Drone loadPer-charge energySunCase 605SunCase 1213SunCase 2425SunCase 3651
FPV battery (160 Wh class — 6S 1500–2000 mAh)160 Wh3 charges8 charges16 charges31 charges
Drone controller40 Wh13 charges32 charges63 charges125 charges
FPV goggles~30 Wh17 charges43 charges83 charges167 charges
Drone flight monitor / ground station6 W continuous91 hrs208 hrs417 hrs833 hrs
Tablet (ATAK / mission planning)35 Wh15 charges37 charges71 charges143 charges

Figures based on direct-run or full-charge from full battery, before solar input. With solar, daytime drone operations effectively run indefinitely.

How long can a SunCase power a drone jammer or counter-UAS system?

A 150W RF jammer runs for 17 hours on a SunCase 2425 and 33 hours on a SunCase 3651. NUE has powered brigade-level jamming covering a 20 km radius — protecting a city of 250,000 in Ukraine — using stacked SunCase 3651 units paired with NUESolar tactical panels. The U.S. Navy runs CACI counter-UAS control systems including BEAM and Spectrum Guard on NUE power.
cUAS / EW loadAvg wattsSunCase 1213SunCase 2425SunCase 3651
Portable RF jammer150 W~8 hrs17 hrs33 hrs
Portable RF detection / SIGINT74 W17 hrs34 hrs68 hrs
Pulsar (handheld EW)900 WDC only2.8 hrs5.7 hrs
WiSP (lightweight EW)500 WSurge issue2.6 hrs5.0 hrs
LRCT (low-rate counter-tactical)340 W1.62 hrs3.8 hrs7.4 hrs
LRST Block 2 (long-range stand-off)1,400 W—1.8 hrs3.6 hrs
Brigade-level jammer (stacked 3× SunCase 3651 = 15 kWh)variesSustained operation for hours, recharges from solar in daylight

Field vignette: Brigade jamming over Ukraine

NUE-powered jamming systems have provided a 20 km defensive electronic perimeter over a Ukrainian city of 250,000 — neutralizing Shahed-type one-way attack drones and Russian recon UAS. The acoustic and thermal silence of battery power lets the jamming asset survive in a way a generator-fed system cannot: a generator is a beacon. Conventional jammers paired with diesel betray themselves to counter-battery and to the very drones they're trying to defeat. Battery-fed jammers don't.

What does a drone team's daily power load actually look like?

A typical 4-soldier drone team running an 8-hour mission consumes roughly 2,000–3,500 Wh per day: 1,500–2,500 Wh for drone batteries (10–15 cycles), 200–400 Wh for controllers and goggles, 200 Wh for the ground station and tablet, and 100–300 Wh for comms (Starlink + radio). A SunCase 2425 covers a single mission day; a SunCase 3651 with one NUESolar panel covers continuous operations.

Sample mission build — 4-person FPV strike team, 8-hour shift

EquipmentQuantityEnergy / shift
FPV drone batteries (160 Wh) per pilot, 3 pilots, 4 sorties each12 charges1,920 Wh
Spotter recon drone batteries3 charges480 Wh
Controllers (3 active)3 charges120 Wh
FPV goggles (3 pilots)3 charges90 Wh
Ground station + tablet8 hrs continuous~280 Wh
Starlink uplink4 hrs intermittent400 Wh
Tactical radio (PRC-152 or equivalent)8 hrs receive, 1 hr transmit~200 Wh
Total daily load—~3,500 Wh

Recommended configuration: SunCase 3651 (5 kWh) with one NUESolar 150 panel (600–750 Wh/day). Sustains continuous operations indefinitely in any daylight theater.

Powering autonomous and unmanned surface vessels

NUE SunCase 3651 powers GARC autonomous surface vessels operating with CACI electronic warfare devices — extending mission duration for unmanned maritime platforms without onboard fuel logistics. As autonomy and edge AI move into combat, the power requirements at the edge are growing faster than any other workload class.

Why batteries beat generators for drone operations

FactorGas generatorSunCase + solar
Acoustic signature60–85 dBA — audible at distanceSilent
Thermal signatureStrong IR plumeMinimal — masks well in warm climates, mitigation tarps available for cold
RF emissionsSpark-ignition noiseTested low-to-no RF emissions, EMI-shielded
Fuel resupplyConvoy requiredNone — solar + vehicle DC + grid
Indoor / underground useUnsafe (CO, fumes)Safe
Time to deploySeveral minutes, fueling requiredMinutes, even with solar
Survives shrapnel / dropsDepends on cageOperates with case closed

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many FPV drone batteries can the SunCase 605 charge?

The SunCase 605 (550 Wh) charges approximately 3 standard 160-Wh-class FPV batteries on a single fill. With solar input, this becomes continuous in daylight.

Q: Can I run a drone jammer directly off a SunCase without a battery in the jammer itself?

Yes. The SunCase provides clean 120V AC and 24V/48V DC outputs suitable for jammers, RF detection systems, and SIGINT equipment. Direct-run is more efficient than charging an internal jammer battery first.

Q: What's the best portable power for an FPV drone strike team?

For a 3–5 person team, the SunCase 3651 (5 kWh, 3.6 kW inverter) paired with a NUESolar 150 panel is the standard configuration. It covers daily battery cycling, ground station, comms, and goggles with margin.

Q: Does the SunCase work with DJI / Skydio / Anduril / Switchblade systems?

The SunCase outputs standard 120V AC, USB, and 12/24/48V DC. It charges any drone manufacturer's batteries through the OEM charger. NUE has powered drone teams flying systems from across the unmanned ecosystem and is in active research and trials with Anduril, Lockheed, Axon, and CACI.

Q: How is the SunCase resupplied to forward drone teams in denied areas?

Logistics drones. Ukrainian forces have delivered SunCase 605 units to frontline drone teams via logistics drone in areas where ground resupply was denied — the unit's 17-lb (7 kg) weight makes it air-droppable through small UAS.

Q: What U.S. counter-UAS programs use NUE power?

U.S. Navy CACI counter-UAS control systems (BEAM and Spectrum Guard), JIATF-401 counter-UAS exercises along the Southern Border and at the FIFA World Cup, and ongoing trials with the Defense Innovation Unit through SWMAC.

Q: Can the SunCase 3651 run a Starlink and a drone team simultaneously?

Yes. The 3651's 3.6 kW inverter handles a Starlink (100W), a drone team's controllers and ground station, and a tactical radio simultaneously, with capacity for additional loads. Starlink alone runs for 50 hours on a full SunCase 3651.