# How the Pentagon Is Buying Batteries Like a Utility

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-defense-tech-podcast-with-fexingo-government-contracting-aerospace-and-military-tech-7871833/how-the-pentagon-is-buying-batteries-like-a-utility
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-defense-tech-podcast-with-fexingo-government-contracting-aerospace-and-military-tech-7871833/how-the-pentagon-is-buying-batteries-like-a-utility.md
Podcast: [The Defense Tech Podcast with Fexingo: Government Contracting, Aerospace, and Military Tech](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-defense-tech-podcast-with-fexingo-government-contracting-aerospace-and-military-tech-7871833)
Published: 2026-07-09T20:52:24+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/the-defense-tech-podcast/episode-0101.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/the-defense-tech-podcast/episode-0101.mp3
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Duration seconds: 499

## Resource

The Pentagon spends over $2 billion a year on batteries — for everything from night-vision goggles to electric vehicles to missile silos. But the old procurement model, buying custom chemistries for each platform, has led to skyrocketing costs and long lead times. Now the Defense Logistics Agency is testing a new approach: treat batteries like a commodity, buy them through a centralized catalog, and require vendors to meet a common spec. Lucas and Luna break down the pilot program, the resistance from prime contractors, and why Lockheed Martin's recent five-day slide might reflect market skepticism about the transition. They also look at the civilian battery boom — Tesla, Redwood Materials, and the Inflation Reduction Act — and ask whether the Pentagon can finally ride the commercial wave instead of fighting it. #Pentagon #Batteries #DefenseLogisticsAgency #DLA #LithiumIon #Procurement #DefenseTech #LockheedMartin #LMT #Tesla #RedwoodMaterials #InflationReductionAct #CommercialTech #SupplyChain #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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