US Army plans $2.2B investment in small nuclear reactors for military bases

The US Army is betting big on small nuclear reactors. The service branch announced plans to deploy microreactors at five military bases through the newly unveiled Janus Program, committing up to $2.2 billion in funding over a five-year period from fiscal year 2027 through 2031.

Five companies have been selected to build the reactors, each paired with a specific installation. The first unit is expected to go live by September 30, 2028.

Five companies, five bases

The Army, working in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), chose a diverse roster of nuclear firms for the project. Antares Nuclear will build at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. BWXT Advanced Technologies got the nod for Fort Campbell in Kentucky. General Atomics is heading to Fort Hood in Texas. Radiant Industries will set up at Fort Benning in Georgia. And Westinghouse will deploy at Fort Drum in New York.

The contracts are structured under Other Transaction Authority, a procurement mechanism that lets the Pentagon move faster than traditional acquisition channels allow.

The $2.2 billion in Army and DIU funding will be supplemented by private investment, though the exact breakdown between public and private capital hasn’t been specified. The program aims to install more than 20 microreactors across those five sites over the contract period.

Microreactors generate between 1 MW and 20 MW of capacity. They’re designed to be factory-built and mobile, meaning they can be assembled off-site and transported to wherever they’re needed.

Why the military wants its own reactors

Military bases currently rely heavily on the civilian power grid. When the grid goes down, bases fall back on diesel generators, a system that comes with its own supply chain risks and fuel logistics headaches.

The program follows Executive Order 14299, issued during the Trump administration in May 2025, which directed federal agencies to prioritize resilient, off-grid power for critical military operations.

The five sites were winnowed from a pool of nine finalists shortlisted in November 2025. The Army evaluated each location based on a combination of risk factors, energy requirements, and cost considerations before making its final selections.

This also marks a return to nuclear power for the US military after a long absence. The Army operated small reactors at various installations during the mid-20th century but stepped away from the technology decades ago.

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