Ahead of the announcement, officials said they expect the private sector to invest “billions of dollars” in the projects as well. Together, this funding will go toward building more than 20 nuclear microreactors across the military installations over the next five years. 

At one of the initial five locations selected, advanced nuclear developer Antares Nuclear will be installing its microreactor, the Mark-0, at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. This reactor was the first small modular reactor developed under the Trump administration’s pilot programs to achieve criticality this summer, meaning it is stable and able to produce energy.

Antares anticipates producing electricity from its advanced reactors in 2027 and deploying them at military installations in 2028. 

BWXT Advanced Technologies will install its reactor at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, while General Atomic Electromagnetic Systems will be deploying its technology at Fort Hood in Texas. Radiant Industries will deploy a reactor at Fort Benning in Georgia, and Westinghouse Government Systems is building a reactor at Fort Drum in New York. 

The Army would not confirm how much it was awarding each company or the exact number of reactors the developers committed to for each location. 

Radiant Industries, however, said that its agreement totals up to $750 million to deploy 15 microreactors with a capacity of approximately 1 megawatt by 2030. The company said it is the largest award within the Janus Program. 

Microreactors are far smaller than traditional reactors, which can generate up to 1,000 megawatts, or even small modular reactors, which can generate upward of about 300 megawatts of power. Microreactors can typically produce up to 50 megawatts of power, though some being developed through the Janus Program may have a capacity as small as 1 megawatt, which can usually produce enough electricity to power 400 to 900 homes.

They are also expected to have lifespans lasting several decades. For example, General Atomics’ 5-megawatt microreactor is expected to have a design life of 40 years. 

The Army said it is still finalizing a deal to handle the nuclear waste generated by the reactors. Dr. Jeff Waksman, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations in energy and environment, told reporters that there will be no long-term waste storage on-site, and that all waste will be removed within two years of any reactor shutting down. 

“The Army has responsibility for the entire Pentagon to negotiate that nuclear waste deal with the Department of Energy,” Waksman said. “We don’t have that fully signed and agreed to yet, but the intent is to have a deal with the Department of Energy where the waste would go to a DOE site.” 

Under the Janus Program, the Army aims to have the first microreactor operational by September 2028. 

The U.S. military has become increasingly interested in using nuclear power as a backup energy source, as reactors can operate for years without refueling. This would mean military bases could keep running even if the civilian electrical grid disconnects. 

Microreactors, given their size, are portable and would allow the military to transport additional power to bases across the world, including those in remote regions unable to connect to traditional fossil fuel infrastructure. 

NUCLEAR POWER WILL FUEL THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY, CHRIS WRIGHT PREDICTS

All five military bases will remain connected to the local grids after the reactors are deployed on site. Officials said the reactors will provide “resilient power to critical infrastructure” on base but will not provide 100% of the power the facilities need. 

The Janus Program is just one part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to boost the domestic nuclear energy industry and quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050 to meet growing power demands brought on by artificial intelligence.