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.

1 Amount of energy (runtime) per battery weight

Unlike the equipment they power, battery colors are not chosen just to have the best camouflage for their operating environment, but rather the color of the case actually tells you what technology is inside. In addition to helping you understand its performance, it is also useful as a quick reference for knowing how to handle, transport, and dispose of the battery. Note that the color system only applies to standard communication electronics batteries, system specific or COTS batteries may not be color coded, always verify the chemistry before taking any action.

Table colors are representative only, differences due to web encoding and screen calibration will be present.