US Army picks five bases for nuclear microreactor push

The US Army has selected five companies to build and operate nuclear microreactors at military installations across the country, a move aimed at securing reliable power independent of the commercial electric grid. The installations span from Fort Drum in New York to Fort Hood in Texas.

The contracts, collectively worth up to $2.2 billion over five years, are part of the Army's Janus Program, launched last year to push advanced nuclear designs beyond the prototype stage. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the initiative would deliver safe, baseload power directly to installations, reducing reliance on potentially vulnerable external grids.

Each microreactor is expected to generate between 1 and 20 megawatts, depending on the design. The bases will remain connected to the grid, and the reactors will supplement, not replace, existing power sources. Two of the selected companies plan to deliver their reactors in three-pack configurations.

Officials emphasised that the reactors are designed to shut down safely in the event of a failure and are small enough to be deployed on installations without posing undue risk. The Army is coordinating with the Department of Energy on radioactive waste removal, with no long-term storage planned at the bases.

The reactors will be licensed by the Army rather than the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, though the service is aligning its processes with civilian standards to ease future commercial adoption. The programme is expected to attract billions in private investment alongside federal funding.

Industry leaders welcomed the announcement. Radiant Industries' president called the award a vote of confidence in the company's ability to manufacture and deploy microreactors safely. BWXT's CEO described the programme as the nation's most credible path to deployable nuclear power.

No nuclear microreactors currently supply power to the US commercial grid. The Army's push follows executive orders signed in May 2025 to accelerate nuclear development, with a target of an advanced reactor operating at a domestic installation by September 2028. The Janus Program is named after the Roman god of transitions, reflecting the military's shift from diesel backup to nuclear energy for critical infrastructure.