U.S. Army Moves to Put Nuclear Microreactors on Five Military Bases

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The U.S. Army is moving ahead with plans to build nuclear microreactors at five military installations, part of a $2.2 billion energy-security push aimed at keeping critical bases powered even if outside electric grids are disrupted.

The effort, known as the Janus Program, will pair private nuclear companies with Army installations in North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, and New York. The first selected sites are Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Hood, Fort Benning, and Fort Drum.

Army officials said the goal is to deliver reliable baseload power directly to military installations, reducing dependence on vulnerable civilian grids while strengthening America’s domestic nuclear industrial base. The selected contractors will own and operate the reactors, with government funding tied to milestone-based performance targets.

The five vendor-base pairings are Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg, BWXT Advanced Technologies at Fort Campbell, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood, Radiant Industries at Fort Benning, and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum.

The Army said the program is expected to expand beyond the initial five sites, with more than 20 microreactors eventually planned across War Department installations. Officials aim to have the first reactor operating on a military installation by September 2028.

The move comes as Washington increasingly views energy resilience as a national-security issue, particularly as military bases rely on electricity for communications, weapons systems, cyber defense, logistics, and emergency response.

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