HPQ’s First Defence Battery Order: GEN3 Packs Destined for French Army Regiment

When a company crosses the line from testing and qualification to a commercial order, the playbook changes. HPQ Silicon and Novacium announced August 19, 2026 that they received their first commercial order for GEN3 silicon based battery packs, destined for FPV drones for a French Army regiment through integration partner LN Innov. The 6S1P pack delivers 6,000 mAh and was designed to meet the end customer’s requirements. After months of testing, the results met those requirements and led directly to the order, marking a significant transition from qualification to third party commercial validation.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Commercial Validation: Discussions began in early 2026, samples were delivered during Q2 and the end customer conducted testing. The results met its performance and reliability requirements, leading to the first commercial order in July/August 2026.
• French Defence Entry: The order represents the first commercial use of Novacium’s silicon based anode technology in an application intended for the French defence sector. Additional discussions and testing programs are underway with potential defence and security customers.
• Government Backing: HPQ has Canadian government support for a planned 50 tonne per year silicon anode material production facility, providing a pathway toward greater North American capacity.
• Capacity Runway: Current capacity is approximately 1 tonne per year. A dedicated French facility is expected around the end of Q1 or beginning of Q2 2027, increasing capacity to approximately 3 tonnes annually. The Canadian 50 tonne project currently targets 2029.
• North American Leverage: HPQ holds exclusive North American commercialization rights to Novacium’s technologies under the ENDURA+ brand. CEO Bernard Tourillon said the French Army reference should increase credibility as the company begins approaching North American defence players, including the U.S. Department of Defense.

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

The interview cited projections that the global military drone market could grow from roughly $34.8 billion to approximately $110 billion by the early 2030s, representing growth of about 26% annually. That expansion is increasing demand for batteries capable of greater range, payload capacity and operating efficiency, while defence markets place greater emphasis on technological sovereignty and supply security.

GEN3 enables higher energy density than conventional graphite anode cells, which can translate into greater range, increased payload capacity or a balance between the two. The 6,000 mAh GEN3 configuration was designed around the end customer’s requirements, tested and selected for this first order.

The planned French facility is expected to generate operating data needed to support the eventual scale up toward HPQ’s 50 tonne Canadian operation.

CEO BERNARD TOURILLON

“This first order in the defence sector is tangible proof that our strategy is working. We invested in developing a potentially disruptive technology, and today we are seeing it reach a decisive milestone: moving from testing and qualification to a first commercial order for an application intended for an end customer as demanding as the French Army. This represents an important commercial validation and a concrete step forward in our efforts to create value for our shareholders.”

INVESTOR TAKEAWAY

This story is moving beyond materials development and into commercial defence validation. The initial order is small and not financially material to HPQ, but the milestone is clear: the product was tested, met the customer’s requirements and generated a commercial order destined for a French Army regiment.

That defence reference could now support additional opportunities as discussions and testing continue with other potential customers.

Behind that first order sits a defined capacity roadmap. The French facility is expected to reach approximately 3 tonnes annually in 2027, while the Canadian project targets 50 tonnes annually on the current 2029 timeline. HPQ also holds exclusive North American commercialization rights and is evaluating with LN Innov and Novacium an integrated electric propulsion platform for North American drone and defence markets.