The U.S. Army announced this week that it will add nuclear microreactors at five military bases across the country as part of a push for energy sources independent of the commercial electric grid. The initiative, called the Janus Program, will direct up to $2.2 billion over five years to five companies selected to design, build, and operate the reactors, contingent on meeting performance milestones.
The Army expects more than 20 microreactors to be built and operated under the program. Each unit will supply between 1 megawatt and 20 megawatts of power, depending on the design, and installations will remain connected to the regional grid rather than operating in isolation.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the awards will help the military "deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations." Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, described the effort as the "spear tip" of a broader transition toward advanced reactor designs built for long term use rather than testing alone.
The five selected companies are Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, BWXT at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood in Texas, Radiant Industries at Fort Benning in Georgia, and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum in New York. The Army said it selected multiple companies to reduce the risk that any single design fails to reach deployment.
Officials said the reactors will use passive safety features designed to shut down automatically if problems arise, and the Army is working with the Department of Energy on a plan to remove radioactive waste from the sites rather than store it long term. The first units are expected to begin supplying power in 2028.
Source: The Associated Press - https://www.kfvs12.com/2026/08/26/army-spend-2b-build-nuclear-microreactors-military-bases-5-states/