US Army
US Army bets $2.2 billion on nuclear power, plans reactors at 5 military bases
The US Army has awarded a combined $2.2 billion to five nuclear energy vendors to build and operate small nuclear reactors at five military installations across the United States.
The contracts are part of the Army’s Janus Program, which has selected five vendors and five initial locations for the deployment of nuclear microreactors.
“These vendors will deliver safe, secure, and reliable nuclear power, strengthening the Army’s ability to project power globally, while supporting the revitalization of American industrial capacity and technological leadership,” the US Army said in a statement.
With additional private-sector funding expected alongside the government investment, the Army said it anticipates that more than 20 nuclear microreactors will eventually be built and operated across Department of War installations.
The five selected vendors and military installations are:
Antares Nuclear, Inc. — Fort Bragg, North Carolina
BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC — Fort Campbell, Kentucky
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems — Fort Hood, Texas
Radiant Industries, Inc. — Fort Benning, Georgia
Westinghouse Government Services — Fort Drum, New York
“Since launching the Janus Program, our mandate from President Trump and Secretary Hegseth has been clear: secure the power our warfighters need to train, deploy and win,” said Dan Driscoll, Secretary of the Army.
“Awarding these contracts accelerates our ability to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations. We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids,” he said.
Dr Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, said the Janus Program builds on earlier US government nuclear initiatives, including Project Pele and the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program.
“The Janus Program is grabbing the baton from Project Pele and the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program,” Waksman said.
He said the Army was seeking reactors capable of operating reliably for years rather than systems designed merely for short-term demonstrations.
“We are seeking not just reactors capable of turning on for a brief demonstration, but rather systems able to deliver power with high-capacity factors for years of operation,” Waksman said.
He added that the programme would be considered successful only if it helped multiple nuclear companies develop reliable and affordable nuclear microreactors that could eventually be sold to customers beyond the US military.
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