A Midlands renewable energy and lighting manufacturer has secured a prestigious
international defence contract to supply thousands of custom-designed lights for the
flagship aircraft carrier of the French Navy.
Voltacon Energy Systems, which is based on the Burnsall Road Industrial Estate in Coventry,
has been awarded a £100,000 contract by the French Ministry of Armed Forces for the
Charles de Gaulle warship after impressing military engineers with its advanced LED lighting
for the UK’s Royal Navy.

The order for 10,000 tube lights follows a long-standing relationship with the UK Ministry of
Defence, which saw Voltacon supply over 20,000 specialist LED bulbs for vessels including
the HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales, Type 45 Destroyers, and various Royal Navy
frigates.
The lights will now be packaged and delivered to France for the engineers on-board the
Charles de Gaulle to fit in the autumn.

A spokesperson for the French Ministry of Armed Forces said: “We have partnered before
with Voltacon to upgrade our own lighting network with very positive results.
“Having a first-hand account of the project on our own aircraft carriers, it was only logical to
extend this offer to the Charles de Gaulle.
“After extensive testing, we concluded that our overall electrical characteristics improved
and that this solution was far more cost, time and environmentally effective than replacing
the fixtures themselves.”
Stefanos Kandilidis, Managing Director of Voltacon Energy Systems, said the deal reflected growing cross-border collaboration under NATO’s framework for shared innovation and
procurement.
“This relationship began at a defence engineering conference where a senior MoD engineer
introduced us to their French counterparts,” he said.
“They were looking to renovate and modernise the lighting systems on the Charles de
Gaulle.
“After testing our strobe lighting, we received positive feedback particularly regarding
improvements in brightness and energy efficiency, and the elimination of magnetic
interference that had plagued older fluorescent systems.”
Voltacon's lights underwent rigorous trials before being selected for full deployment on the
Charles de Gaulle – a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

“We’re honoured to play a part in modernising such an iconic vessel,” Stefanos added. “This
is more than just a business deal – it’s validation of our engineering capabilities and the trust
placed in us through the NATO network.
“Any NATO country can now source our products without going through extended
compliance checks, giving us a direct route to supply defence projects across Europe and
beyond.”

Voltacon now has its sights set on expanding its footprint in global defence supply chains,
including the U.S. Department of Defense.
Stefanos said: “We’re building a strong reputation for problem-solving in complex
environments like naval ships.
“This latest project could be the springboard to even bigger opportunities within NATO and
allied forces.”

Caption: The Charles de Gaulle warship