IRVINE, CA, May 6, 2026 — Dismounted and expeditionary teams are being asked to power more from the same limited battery pool. Radios, UAV controllers, counter-UAS systems, sensors, compute, and networking gear are all adding demand at the tactical edge. The problem is no longer just battery capacity. It is how units manage, regulate, recharge, and distribute that energy in the field without adding unnecessary hardware, complexity, or manual power management to already overburdened teams.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Iris Technology is developing its Power HIVE — Hub for Integrated Versatile Energy — mission power node to help close that gap and is optimizing the platform around Ultralife’s high-capacity UBI-2590 UBBL13-01 battery while maintaining compatibility with the broader BB-2590 battery family.
The pairing is straightforward: Ultralife’s UBI-2590 delivers 288Wh of energy, flexible 15V/30V operation, SMBus communication, rugged military construction, and integrated state-of-charge visibility. Power HIVE extends the operational utility of that battery platform by combining multiple BB-2590 class batteries into a regulated, field-usable mission power node — providing reliable 28V distribution, simultaneous load support and charging, hot-swap capability, and real-time telemetry across the full battery stack.
The result is a BB-2590 class power architecture purpose-built for the distributed equipment demands of the tactical edge.
LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES
“Power HIVE is built around a simple idea: the BB-2590 should become more than a battery carried in a box. By optimizing Power HIVE around Ultralife’s high-capacity UBI-2590 while maintaining compatibility with other BB-2590 class batteries, we can give military users a smarter, regulated mission power node using a battery format they already understand and trust.”
— Mike Stein, Vice President, Tactical • Iris Technology
“Ultralife’s UBI-2590 battery was designed for rugged military applications where energy density, flexible voltage, and reliable battery communication matter. Power HIVE gives us a practical way to show how high-capacity BB-2590 batteries can support broader tactical power architectures.”
— Mike Manna, President and CEO, Ultralife Corporation
DEVELOPMENT STATUS & SOF WEEK 2026
The initial effort is focused on customer demonstrations and field feedback around BB-2590 class mission power applications. Prototype units are already in test and evaluation, with additional configurations planned as part of Iris Technology’s broader power management roadmap.
Power HIVE will be on display at SOF Week 2026, Booth 755, as part of Iris Technology’s broader portfolio of tactical power management solutions.
ABOUT IRIS TECHNOLOGY
Iris Technology is a 40-year precision engineering firm delivering mission-critical power, data, and control systems for the U.S. military, SOCOM, and DoD prime contractors. CMMC Level 2 certified and AS9100D registered, Iris Tactical products are fielded across Army, SOF, and NATO programs. From 1W dismounted to 10kW vehicle-mounted, Iris builds the power architecture that keeps missions running when the environment is trying to stop them. Power HIVE is optimized around Ultralife’s UBI-2590 UBBL13-01 battery platform.
Read the full article here
