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Small business qualifier Packet Digital LLC in Fargo, ND received a $5.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research and development into advanced power management for wireless systems. Packet Digital’s “On-Demand Power” technology is designed to increase the life of any military system powered by batteries; the company claims that their technology would allow soldiers to carry only one-half to one-fifth the amount of batteries they now require. Work will be performed in Fargo, ND and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2008. There were 11 bids solicited on June 23, 2006, and 2 bids were received by the Defense Microelectronics Activity in McClellan, CA (H94003-07-C-0702).

Packet Digital’s research is increasingly relevant given the proliferation of wireless systems and networks for field use, and the battery load and limitations corresponding to other powered devices have made battery improvements and substitutes a doubly urgent issue for advanced militaries around the world. DID’s “Infantry-21” coverage of Future Soldier Systems being fielded by several nations notes that these trends continue to pick up speed, further increasing the pressure to find solutions.