US Army plans for 20 mini nuclear reactors on domestic military bases

Karl Hille, Baltimore Sun on Sep 1, 2026

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The U.S. Army is ensuring its military bases will not lose power if the local electric grid goes down through small nuclear reactor technology.

The Army’s Janus Program, in partnership with the Department of War Innovation Unit, selected five nuclear energy vendors and five initial locations in a $2.2 billion award to own, construct and operate nuclear microreactors on military installations, the Army announced Wednesday.

The project is intended to provide safe, secure and reliable nuclear power while boosting American industrial capacity and technological leadership, the statement reads.

“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,” Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll said in a statement. “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.”

The following companies will supply nuclear reactors: Antares Nuclear, Inc. at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood, Texas; Radiant Industries, Inc. at Fort Benning, Georgia; and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum, New York.

In February, the Army transported its first microreactor for testing. The five-megawatt reactor was transported from California to Utah as part of Project Janus to ensure reliable energy to support future warfare initiatives like artificial intelligence, directed energy weapons and space and cyber infrastructure. Project Janus aims to produce at least 10 small reactors in under a year.

Small, modular nuclear reactors can provide up to 300 MW of clean electricity, industry officials say. Due to their construction and small scale, small reactors will not malfunction or melt down, even if left unattended.

In comparison, Constellation Energy’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Maryland, operates two 2850-megawatt reactors.

The Maryland Next Generation Act, passed last year, directs the state to solicit new nuclear power capability after 2027, and Constellation Energy indicated it is ready to build new large-scale reactors at Calvert Cliffs.

Emerging technology like small modular reactors may come with additional delays; however, if federal regulators do not find a path for approval, state officials have said. The Janus Program may help overcome that hurdle.

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