High-g power sources for the US Armyʹs HSTSS programme

Under the Hardened Subminiature Telemetry and Sensor System (HSTSS) programme, the US Army has been developing gun-hardened telemetry devices and subsystems for the testing of smart weapon systems. These devices will be able to withstand accelerations in excess of 100 000 g and radial accelerations in excess of 25 000 g. Under this programme, rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery technology and primary lithium/manganese dioxide technology are being developed for ballistic telemetry applications. To date, prototypes of these batteries have survived accelerations well over 100 000 g. This report provides the current status of these developments and reviews battery designs and testing regimes.