Defence contractors have given positive feedback to UK-based solid-state battery developer Ilika from safety testing of its Goliath prototype cells under simulated battlefield conditions, highlighting the potential of the technology for use in defence, and other safety-critical environments.
The company said prototypes were delivered in December 2025 to a range of customers, including an organisation advising the UK Ministry of Defence. The cells were subsequently subjected to firing range tests designed to assess their behaviour under extreme mechanical abuse.
According to Ilika, the tests indicated that a 10Ah Goliath cell was able to withstand an initial ballistic impact, with a thermal event only occurring after a second shot. Cells at low state of charge did not exhibit thermal runaway under similar conditions. The company also reported that the onset of thermal runaway in impacted cells was delayed compared with conventional lithium-ion systems, and that peak temperatures during failure were lower than those observed in nickel cobalt aluminium (NCA) cells tested under comparable conditions.
Ilika noted that the Goliath cells used in the tests store approximately three times the energy of the conventional NCA cells included in the same trials, while demonstrating a broadly similar thermal response.
The results provide early validation of the safety characteristics of Ilika’s solid-state architecture, which is designed to reduce the risk of thermal runaway – a failure mode associated with conventional lithium-ion batteries in which rising temperatures can trigger a self-sustaining reaction leading to fire or explosion.
The company said the findings support ongoing discussions with partners evaluating the technology for applications where safety, robustness and reliability are critical, including defence and other high-risk operating environments.
Ilika is continuing to develop its Goliath large-format solid-state battery platform alongside its smaller Stereax product line, with a focus on improving safety performance while maintaining competitive energy density.
Defence agency: interested in evaluating the technology further
An unnamed power sources subject matter expert for the UK defence agency, quoted by Ilika, said: “Ilika’s Goliath cells were screened alongside an extensive range of other battery technologies (both experimental and mature) as part of our work to understand the risk associated with increased electrification, and to understand which battery technologies can offer improved safety over conventional lithium-ion. We would be very interested in evaluating Ilika’s technology further in applications optimised for deployment in defence environments.”
Graeme Purdy, CEO of Ilika, said: “Events in recent months have highlighted that we live in times with a heightened security risk. Mobile energy storage is important for many modern defence applications, including drones, and we are working with experts in the field to identify the most appropriate avenues for commercialising Goliath in this sector, alongside other applications where enhanced safety provides a clear competitive advantage.”
