Batteries in the military fall into two groups: non-rechargeable and rechargeable batteries. Non-rechargeable batteries are lightweight and have more run time than their rechargeable counterparts. Rechargeable batteries have the advantage that they can be recharged a minimum of 225 cycles. One cycle is one charge and one discharge. This makes the overall cost per rechargeable battery much more cost-effective than non-rechargeable batteries.
Within these two main groups, batteries can be further differentiated by their chemistries. While technology advancements, specialized formulations, and manufacturing techniques can lead to more variation. Below is a basic ranking of different common battery technologies.
| Chemistry | Rechargeable | Runtime | Energy Density1 | Hot | Cold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMh) | Yes | * | * | * | * |
| Lithium – Ion (Li-ion) | Yes | *** | ** | *** | *** |
| Lithium – Sulfur Dioxide (Li-SO2) | No | *** | *** | **** | **** |
| Lithium – Manganese Dioxide (Li-MnO2) | No | **** | **** | **** | *** |
| Lithium – Carbon Monofluoride / MnO2 hybrid (Li-CFx / MnO2) | No | ***** | ***** | *** | *** |
1 Amount of energy (runtime) per battery weight