SCIENCE and engineering firm AEA Technology has scooped a £5m deal with an Israeli military company to keep soldiers talking.

The Harwell-based company will supply lithium-ion batteries and chargers for a new hand-held military radio designed to be light enough for the battlefield.

The batteries will be supplied to Israel's largest military communication company, Tadiran Com, for its new combat radio.

Lithium-ion batteries are smaller and lighter than traditional nickel cadmium batteries making them ideal for radios carried by soldiers.

AEA Technology will supply up to 5,000 batteries a year to Tadiran in a five-year deal worth around £5m.

Tadiran supplies communications equipment to the armed forces of more than 40 countries including the Israel Defence Forces and the US armed forces.

Rob Neat, managing director of AEA Technology Batteries, said: "This contract with one of the world's leading manufacturers of military communications equipment is another step towards our goal of becoming the dominant supplier of batteries to the niche markets such as the military sector."

It is estimated that the key niche markets including the military, medical, aerospace and telecommunications sectors that are targeted by AEA Technology will be worth £150m a year within the next three years.

AEA Technology recently opened a new factory in Thurso, Scotland which is capable of producing up to two million rechargeable lithium-ion cells a year.

In December 1998 the company also opened a new £3.5m Technology Centre at Culham, which will develop a new generation of rechargeable batteries for applications ranging from hand-held computers to electric cars.

Story date: Friday 04 February

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