US Army awards $2.2 billion to build nuclear microreactors at five military bases

US Army awards $2.2 billion to build nuclear microreactors at five military bases

The US Army announced Wednesday it will award up to $2.2 billion over five years to five companies to build and operate nuclear microreactors at military bases spanning from New York to Texas, marking a major step in developing next-generation nuclear power independent of the commercial electric grid.

The announcement comes as the Trump administration accelerates efforts to expand nuclear energy, including billions in loans for large reactors to meet surging power demand from data centers and a pilot program to advance reactor designs for military and civilian applications. President Trump signed four executive orders on May 23, 2025, aimed at quadrupling US nuclear energy capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050 and deploying advanced reactors at military and Department of Energy sites.

The 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 expects more than 20 nuclear microreactors to be built and operated across these installations.

Addressing military energy demands

Army and industry officials say the microreactors, which are 100 to 1,000 times smaller than conventional nuclear reactors and designed to be transportable by truck, rail or air, offer a resilient power source for critical infrastructure if the grid fails. The reactors can operate for years without refueling, providing between 1 megawatt to 20 megawatts of power depending on design.

The initiative addresses a significant challenge for the US Department of Defense, the world's single largest institutional consumer of energy, accounting for approximately 77 to 80 percent of all US government energy consumption and spending over $20 billion annually on fuel and electricity.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the awards will accelerate the military's ability to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to installations.

We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids.

The grants are part of the Army's Janus Program launched last year to deliver next-generation nuclear energy. Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, said officials hope to push nuclear development forward so advanced reactor designs move beyond experiments and prototypes.

That is the transition that we are trying to effect here. These are not meant to be Army-specific designs,

he explained on a call with reporters Wednesday.

Regulatory approach and safety measures

The reactors will be licensed by the Army rather than the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which licenses commercial nuclear reactors. Waksman said the Army is working to align its regulatory processes as much as possible so companies won't need major design changes for later NRC licensing. He emphasized the reactors will shut down safely in case of failure and that the Army wouldn't add them without being certain of their safety.

The Army is working on an agreement with the Energy Department to remove radioactive waste, with no long-term storage planned on the installations. Along with federal funding, the Army expects billions of dollars in private capital investment.

Critics of expanding nuclear reactor construction argue they are too expensive and riskier than other energy sources. Alan J. Kuperman, associate professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and coordinator of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project, said the Army program uses the military's

deep pockets to provide a hidden subsidy

to nuclear companies unable to find private-sector customers for their hypothetical and uneconomical reactors.

Historic precedent and ambitious timeline

The Army was tasked under a Trump executive order with ensuring an advanced reactor would start operating at a domestic military installation no later than September 30, 2028. The Janus program is named for the ancient Roman god of transitions.

The Army has historical experience with nuclear power. A reactor at Fort Belvoir in Virginia achieved criticality on April 8, 1957, and was the first nuclear power reactor in the United States to be connected to a commercial electrical grid. The SM-1 reactor was a 2-megawatt pressurized water reactor delivering 1,750 kilowatts of electrical power. About 800 personnel were trained on the reactor during its operational life before it was decommissioned in 1973.

Officials acknowledge delivering nuclear power to military bases will be challenging and selected five companies in case one or more fail. The military installations will remain connected to the grid, with the reactors not completely powering them. Antares and Radiant are planning to deliver their reactors in three-packs. Major bases use as much power as a small city.

The Army now uses diesel as primary backup for critical infrastructure. But in a conflict, Waksman noted, the Army may not be able to move fossil fuels easily wherever needed.

That makes nuclear energy just a natural game changer. It makes sense for the Army to take the lead here.

Industry response

California-based Antares reached a crucial milestone under the US pilot program that could allow it to produce electricity at Idaho National Lab next year. The company said the Army's announcement extends its momentum.

Westinghouse Government Services said it is proud to support the Army's efforts to strengthen energy security and innovate. Tori Shivanandan, president and chief operating officer of California-based Radiant, said the Army's $750 million award

shows confidence in Radiant's product and ability to manufacture, deploy and safely operate nuclear microreactors for the American military.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems said its reactor is designed to operate in remote, off-grid and extreme environments for 40 years, drawing on more than 70 years of nuclear expertise. Rex Geveden, BWXT's president and chief executive officer, said,

As we commence work on the Janus program, we are delivering the nation's most credible and reliable path to deployable nuclear power.

No nuclear microreactors are currently supplying power to the commercial electric grid in the United States, making this Army initiative a pioneering effort to deploy the emerging technology at scale.