U.S. Army seeks better batteries as it battles the cold

Driving the news: Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George told reporters at the Pentagon the private sector should be ready for an upcoming ask.

• "Battery technology, I think, is something we're going to have to work specifically on," he said.
• "We're proving to be very impatient."

Context: Keeping up with the vast stores of energy soldiers, command posts and other battlefield fixtures has been tricky.

• Different batteries and chargers and hookups and other details make for a logistical nightmare, Defense News reported in 2022.
• The service last month announced a "new battery treatment process" that boosts overall performance.

What they're saying: "One of the drones that we had was supposed to have about 20 minutes of flight time. We were seeing that at Joint Readiness Training Center," said Alex Miller, chief tech adviser to the Army chief.

• "But in the cold, we got four to five minutes."

What's next: Transforming in contact will expand to include armored and Stryker brigade combat teams.

• Autonomy will also be a large focus.