The US Army is rolling out a plan to install small nuclear reactors at military bases across the country by 2028 in an effort to secure round-the-clock power and reduce reliance on traditional fuels.
Unveiled this week at the Association of the US Army conference in Washington DC, the “Janus Program” will begin placing “microreactors” at nine army bases.
Officials said the project aims to make bases more self-sufficient and less vulnerable to blackouts or attacks on the national grid.
“[The initiative represents] a transition from prototypes to fully commercial nuclear power to provide energy resilience for our soldiers,” said Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary for installations, energy, and environment at the US Army.
Focus on Modernization, Expansion
Microreactors are compact, factory-built systems that generate between 1 and 20 megawatts of power, which is enough to supply a small town or military base for years without the need for refueling.
Unlike large nuclear plants, they can be transported by truck or aircraft and prepared within weeks.
“What resilience means to us is that we have power, no matter what, 24-7,” The Wall Street Journal quoted Waksman as saying.
“Military bases right now are powered entirely by fossil fuels. It is not possible with current technology to provide 24/7 power with solar, wind, and batteries. So the only solution to the tyranny of fuel that exists now is nuclear power,” he added, as reported by the Washington Examiner.
Meanwhile, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the program is designed for future conflicts, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, where supply lines are long and vulnerable.
“We are going to need energy on the actual objective,” Driscoll stated, according to a separate report from Washington Times. “We’re going to need to be able to access power like we have never needed it before.”
Construction by 2027
The US Army said that the reactors will be owned and operated by private companies, while the US Army and the Department of Energy will oversee safety and fuel supply.
It will build on elements presented in a May executive order from President Donald Trump directing the Pentagon to have a reactor running at a US military installation by September 2028.
The first construction phase is expected in 2027, Politico reported.
In another remark, Waksman called Janus a “real hardware program,” not just another announcement.
“There have been a lot of nuclear projects in the past that peaked at the press release,” Fox News quoted him as saying. “That is not what this is.”
