US Army to Build Nuclear Microreactors at Five Bases for Energy Resilience

Vendor Assignments and Base Locations

Under the initial rollout of the Janus Program, the Army paired specific nuclear technology vendors with installations across the lower 48 states. According to Business Insider, Antares Nuclear, Inc. is assigned to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC to Fort Campbell in Kentucky, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems to Fort Hood in Texas, Radiant Industries, Inc. to Fort Benning in Georgia, and Westinghouse Government Services to Fort Drum in New York. Future sites could include other strategically important or remote installations, according to Army officials. The service and the Defense Innovation Unit are awarding up to $2.2 billion in contracts for these initial commercial reactors. Jeff Waksman, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for energy and sustainability, noted during a media briefing that the installations were chosen after analyzing seismic activity, energy requirements, and costs.

Program Strategy and Competition Risks

The Janus Program is designed to realize President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14299, titled “Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security,” which directs the Department of War to begin operating an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military base no later than September 30, 2028. TWZ reported that the program name honors Janus, the ancient Roman god of beginnings, gates, and transitions, reflecting the shift from single-unit prototypes to multi-unit commercial systems. To reach what the Army terms “Nth-of-a-kind” commercial viability, selected firms must build two reactors in a staggered fashion. We want to see that these companies have a path to get from their first prototype to the second one and beyond to the Nth-of-a-kind, Waksman explained, as cited by TWZ. Army officials acknowledged that the technology remains experimental and that keeping maximal competition is vital to prevent vendor lock-in. We have five companies because we want to keep maximal competition, Waksman told reporters, according to Business Insider. We know that this is going to be very difficult, and that there’s a real chance that one or more of these companies will fail, and we want to ensure that, at all times, we have competition.

Security Drivers and Power Resiliency

Military officials point to growing vulnerabilities from cyberattacks, electromagnetic spectrum disruptions, and physical drone strikes as the primary drivers behind the Janus Program. While domestic bases will continue drawing power from commercial grids, the microreactors will serve as an independent fallback to keep communications, weapons systems, and command-and-control infrastructure operational. Unlike in prior conflicts, we now know that our domestic electric grid is potentially at risk, Waksman stated, according to Business Insider. In a conflict, we also know that we will not necessarily be able to move fossil fuels easily wherever we need them to go. The Army currently relies heavily on fossil-fuel generators to back up critical infrastructure. The service also draws insights from the Department of Defense’s Project Pele, an initiative managed by the Strategic Capabilities Office to develop a mobile microreactor prototype.