Voltacon lights up French aircraft carrier

A Midlands-based renewable energy and lighting manufacturer is expanding its international reach with a major defence contract.

Coventry’s Voltacon Energy Systems has secured a £100,000 deal with the French Ministry of Armed Forces to supply 10,000 custom LED tube lights for the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. 

The contract follows extensive trials and highlights the company’s reputation for advanced, reliable lighting.

Voltacon has a long-standing relationship with the UK Ministry of Defence, having supplied 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. 

Its expertise in renewable energy and cutting-edge lighting solutions impressed military engineers, paving the way for the French contract.

Stefanos Kandilidis, managing director of Voltacon Energy Systems, said: “This relationship began at a defence engineering conference where a senior MoD engineer introduced us to their French counterparts.

“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.”

Stefanos added: “We’re honoured to play a part in modernising such an iconic vessel. 

“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.”

The lights are now being packaged for delivery to France, where they will be installed on the nuclear-powered carrier during the autumn. 

A spokesperson for the French Ministry of Armed Forces added: “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.”

Voltacon now has its sights set on expanding its footprint in global defence supply chains, including the U.S. Department of Defense.

Stefanos added: “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.”

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