Modern missions require equipment that remains protected during transport and use in extreme conditions. By tailoring packaging to risks such as impact, moisture and temperature fluctuations, you can prevent failure. With the right solution, critical technology remains deployable and operational where it is most needed.
Summary of this article
There your platoon is, in the field, in the middle of the night... The night vision camera your colleague wanted to scan the environment with turns out not to work. In fact, it no longer fit in the standard drone packaging and therefore had to be stored loose in the backpack. Now it turns out that this fragile camera did not survive the long nighttime move.
Of course, such a miss should not happen in reality, so read my tips to avoid such a situation.
Since 1990, the Netherlands has increasingly participated in international peacekeeping missions. Nowadays, considerable investments are made in modern equipment such as drones or high-tech presentation screens for planning and mission briefings in the OPS room. Naturally, when purchasing, the main focus is on the specifications, functionalities and price of the equipment. People generally don’t dwell too long on the packaging. A missed opportunity, if you ask us. Isn’t it actually vitally important to properly protect the equipment so that it is fully deployable during the mission? After all, lack of protection can create dangerous situations.
It is quite a logistical operation to ship all materials and equipment from the Netherlands to the mission area. Especially when sending COTS materials (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf materials), it is then obvious to use standard packaging. Presentation screens, routers and printers are often “just” transported in a cardboard box with an interior of Styrofoam.
Those who have experience with military transports know that such packaging certainly does not provide sufficient protection. Transport is done by ship or plane and then by truck, jeep or helicopter to the final destination. Therefore, chances are that the equipment will come out of the cardboard box in the mission area damaged. Now you can factor in that loss, but better yet you can prevent this damage by using the right packaging.
The standard packaging supplied with equipment is often not designed to withstand the extreme conditions in which the military operates. Yet this equipment requires additional protection against drops, impacts, vibrations and shocks, as well as against dust, water, extreme temperatures and UV radiation.
It is therefore advisable to assess the risks and required level of protection together with a number of packaging specialists. Ideally, this should be done when the equipment is purchased.
If the packaging does adapt to transport and storage, it does not always mean that it is also suitable for daily use during the mission. For example, a weapon is packed in a nice case, with space inside for up to two accessories. But in the field, a soldier needs his weapon and a variety of accessories, such as cartridge cases, a silencer and night vision goggles. So he either misses out or has to remember to bring extra materials himself. And how does he get all that with him into the field?
What a soldier needs is a handy suitcase that fits everything he needs to accomplish his mission. And that gives the equipment inside it the proper protection so he can be confident that the equipment will work when he needs it.
When packing drones, extra care must obviously be taken with the battery. Drones’ lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries with high energy density and long life, but also with risks. Spontaneous ignition, for example. Safe packaging is required by law when transporting and using drones.
Especially for use on missions, extra attention should also be paid to the number of chargers in the package. On average, a drone’s battery life is good for about 30 flying minutes. In the field, charging points are not available, so multiple batteries are needed to be active for a day(s). However, most manufacturers don’t take much account of this in their case designs. Extra storage space for batteries is therefore indispensable for proper use in the field. This in turn places additional demands on the safety of the packaging, so be well informed about this.
Download the white paper on Lithium-Ion transportation here.
At Faes, the development of packaging for drones and other mission-critical equipment does not begin with selecting a standard case, but with understanding the mission profile. Our engineers assess how the equipment, batteries, accessories and spare parts will be transported, stored and used in the field. We then determine the level of protection required against shocks, vibrations, moisture, dust and temperature fluctuations.
How the equipment will be used during a mission is also incorporated into the design. Can operators quickly identify and remove the correct components? Are sensitive parts and batteries kept safely separated? And can the equipment be assembled, inspected and deployed immediately after transport?
Based on these requirements, Faes develops and specifies a custom solution, including the positioning and secure fixation of the equipment, the layout of accessories and the required protective materials. By combining packaging development, engineering, production, assembly and testing, we deliver more than just transport packaging: we provide a solution that becomes an integral part of the operational system.
The right packaging solution depends on the equipment, the mission profile and the conditions during transport, storage and use. Our packaging specialists will be happy to help you develop a solution that protects your equipment while keeping it ready for immediate deployment.
Contact us for a no-obligation consultation.
Michel Prins is Account Manager at Faes and a specialist in Safety & Security. Thanks to his background at the Ministry of Defense and years of experience in the sector, he advises organizations on reliable packaging solutions for critical applications. He combines practical knowledge with technical expertise to package sensitive equipment safely and efficiently.
More articles by Michel PrinsGood packaging doesn’t just happen by chance. Using a tried-and-tested approach, our specialists guide you step by step from the initial idea to the finished product.
