Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Aug 28: The US Army has selected five military installations and five private companies for a programme worth up to $2.2 billion to develop and operate nuclear microreactors, aiming to ensure reliable power for military bases independent of potentially vulnerable civilian electricity grids.
The selections were announced under the Army’s Janus Program, conducted in partnership with the US War Department’s Defense Innovation Unit. The Army eventually plans to deploy more than 20 microreactors across military installations.
The five initial projects will be located at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia and Fort Drum in New York.
Antares Nuclear Inc. has been selected for Fort Bragg, while BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC will work on the Fort Campbell project. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has been chosen for Fort Hood.
Radiant Industries Inc. will develop the project at Fort Benning, while Westinghouse Government Services will work at Fort Drum.
“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,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said.
“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.
The awards will cover up to $2.2 billion between fiscal years 2027 and 2031. The selected companies are also expected to commit significant amounts of private capital to their respective projects.
Payments will be linked to specific technical milestones, with the government releasing funds only after companies achieve agreed targets, according to the Army.
The prototype reactors will remain owned and operated by the contractors. The companies will also be required to coordinate with local utility providers.
The Army said it is seeking systems capable of operating continuously for extended periods rather than reactors designed solely 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,” said Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment.
“The Janus Program will be a complete success when and only when we have assisted multiple nuclear companies in developing truly reliable and affordable nuclear microreactors, which they can sell to other buyers beyond just the military,” he added.
The Army said the selection process involved nuclear and technical experts from the Department of Energy, national laboratories and military services. The experts assessed technical risks, financial considerations and the management capabilities of the participating companies.
The selected military installations were evaluated based on their energy requirements as well as factors including seismic conditions, hydrology and safety. The Army said additional military sites will be announced later.
The programme aims to have its first reactor operational by September 2028, a target established under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
“The Army is leading the nation in its return to nuclear preeminence,” said Jason Craft, Janus Program manager.
“Our selected industry awardees represent the most viable technologies to achieve this capability, setting conditions for both installation energy resilience and operational energy solutions,” he said.
Microreactors are compact nuclear fission systems designed to generate electricity and heat at isolated facilities or locations with limited access to the power grid. Their smaller size could allow components to be manufactured and assembled in factories before being transported to operating sites.
US military installations generally obtain a substantial portion of their electricity from civilian utility networks. Defence officials have increasingly pursued on-site power generation and backup systems to maintain critical operations during grid failures, natural disasters, cyberattacks and physical disruptions.