Air Force Research Lab Awards Concurrent Technologies $18 Million

Energy Storage Military & Defense Research Utility-Scale BESS
Marin Holt
April 29, 2026
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5 minutes read

Contract Award Amount: $18 million
Contracting Entity: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Contracting Company: Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC)
Project Location: Clear Space Force Station, Alaska
Potential Total Contract Value: $25 million

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) secured an $18 million prime contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to design, build, and demonstrate a large-capacity battery energy storage system for Air Force installations operating in extreme environments. The contract, awarded on April 29, 2026, has options that could increase its total value to $25 million.

The Contract

The scope of this five-year contract, issued under AFRL’s Operational Energy and Installation Resilience Program, encompasses the development of an end-to-end battery storage system engineered for performance in extreme heat, cold, high humidity, and arctic conditions. The initial deployment is slated for Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, a missile-warning and space-domain awareness installation. CTC is partnering with ESS Tech, Inc., a battery manufacturer, for the core electrochemistry. ESS Tech previously announced a $9.9 million subcontract from CTC in January 2026 to supply up to 27 megawatt-hours of American-made iron flow battery energy storage for the Clear Space Force Station project. ESS Tech’s iron flow product is designed for long-duration discharge, ranging from 4 to 12 hours, at fixed locations with significant cycling demands and limited space.

Why It Matters

This award is significant within the context of the Department of the Air Force’s efforts to replace or augment diesel generators at remote installations with stored electricity through its Operational Energy and Installation Resilience Program. Clear Space Force Station currently relies heavily on on-site diesel power due to the limited reach of the regional grid in interior Alaska. A 27 megawatt-hour iron flow battery, sized to replace several days of diesel operation, offers both reduced fuel costs and enhanced strategic resilience against fuel supply disruptions. CTC, a not-for-profit applied research and development organization based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has a long history of AFRL contracts dating back to 1988. Successful testing of the Clear Space Force Station system is expected to lead to the transition of the design for broader operational use across additional Air Force installations, with Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, identified as potential follow-on sites for similar deployments.

Critical Perspective

The disclosed $18 million to $25 million value represents a base award with four annual option years. However, AFRL has not provided details on the funding allocation between hardware procurement and demonstration/testing activities. A specific public contract number associated with the DPAS rating recorded by the Govly tracker for this award also remains undisclosed. ESS Tech’s January announcement indicated that the iron flow batteries would be manufactured at their Wilsonville, Oregon facility. Neither AFRL nor CTC has publicly shared the kilowatt-hour cost target for the Clear Space Force Station system, projected annual diesel fuel displacement in gallons, the operational and maintenance handover model, or the cybersecurity certification pathway. ESS Tech has also not provided guidance on the revenue contribution from this contract for 2026 or 2027, nor a specific delivery schedule for the 27 megawatt-hours of storage.