WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Army announced plans to build nuclear microreactors at five military bases on August 26, 2026. Five companies will be awarded up to $2.2 billion in total over five years to own, construct, and operate the microreactors.

Antares Nuclear is selected to build microreactors at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. BWXT Advanced Technologies is selected to build microreactors at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems is selected to build microreactors at Fort Hood in Texas.

Radiant Industries is selected to build microreactors at Fort Benning in Georgia. Westinghouse Government Services is selected to build microreactors at Fort Drum in New York.

The initiative is part of the Army's Janus Program. The funding will be distributed through milestone-based Other Transaction Authority contracts with fixed-price milestones. The funding period spans fiscal years 2027 to 2031.

The systems will be contractor-owned and contractor-operated. Soldiers and Army civilians are not expected to be involved in the operation of the reactors.

The reactors are intended to provide resilient power to critical infrastructure if the commercial electric grid fails. The military installations will remain connected to the commercial power grid. The reactors will not completely power the installations. The Army now uses diesel as a primary backup for critical infrastructure.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the program addresses vulnerabilities in external power sources. "We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids," Driscoll said.

Each reactor will provide between 1 megawatt and 20 megawatts of power, depending on the company's design. The Army expects more than 20 nuclear microreactors to be built and operated under the program. Antares and Radiant are planning to deliver their reactors in three-packs.

Fort Bragg and Fort Benning projects will each see three microreactors installed. Fort Drum, Fort Hood, and Fort Campbell projects will each see one microreactor installed.

Rex Geveden, president and chief executive officer of BWXT, stated the strategic value of the contract. "As we commence work on the Janus program, we are delivering the nation’s most credible and reliable path to deployable nuclear power," Geveden said.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems described the operational parameters of its system. The company said its reactor is designed to operate in remote, off-grid and extreme environments for 40 years. General Atomics’s Tactical Energy System is fueled by uranium zirconium hydride.

Radiant’s design uses fuel made to its specifications, including Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles produced by Standard Nuclear using 19.75 percent high-assay, low-enriched uranium provided by the Department of Energy. Antares is using 19.75 percent high-assay, low-enriched uranium and having BWXT fabricate its TRISO fuel particles.

The reactors will be licensed by the Army rather than the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Army is working to align its regulatory processes with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Army is working on a deal with the Energy Department to remove radioactive waste. There will not be any long-term storage of radioactive waste on the installations.

Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, addressed the implementation timeline. "It makes sense for the Army to take the lead here," Waksman said.

Waksman clarified expectations regarding the 2028 deadline. "We don't expect all five of these companies are going to turn on a reactor in 2028. In fact, they definitely will not," he said. "But we do believe we have a very practical pathway to delivering at least one of these reactors on/by September 30, 2028." The Army expects at least one microreactor to be operating at a domestic military installation by September 30, 2028.

The Janus program was launched in 2025. The program was unveiled at the Association of the U.S. Army Conference in Washington, D.C. The Army selected five companies from a list of nine finalists announced in November 2025. Fort Wainwright in Alaska, Holston Army Ammunition Plant in Tennessee, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, and Redstone Arsenal in Alabama were excluded from the final five selections. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Army to select Fort Drum.

The nation relies heavily on imported enriched uranium for nuclear projects. The United States enriches a very small percentage of the world’s uranium supply. Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration efforts to grow the supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium are underway. Westinghouse announced that its eVinci Microreactor completed a zero-power criticality test on August 25, 2026.

Why It Matters

The shift from diesel backups to nuclear microreactors represents a change in how the military secures power for critical infrastructure. By moving to contractor-owned and operated systems, the Army aims to reduce logistical burdens and increase resilience against grid failures. The program establishes a framework for deploying more than 20 reactors across domestic bases, creating a new model for military energy infrastructure that does not rely on soldier operation.

The reliance on imported enriched uranium shows supply chain considerations for the broader nuclear industry. While the United States enriches a small percentage of the global supply, federal agencies are working to expand domestic production of high-assay low-enriched uranium. The Army’s licensing authority and waste removal agreements with the Energy Department set precedents for how military nuclear projects may be regulated and managed distinct from commercial civilian operations.

Timeline

The Janus program was launched in 2025. President Donald Trump signed executive orders in May 2025 to speed up the development of nuclear power. The Army was tasked with ensuring an advanced reactor would start operating at a domestic military installation no later than September 30, 2028. The Army selected five companies from a list of nine finalists announced in November 2025.

A Presidential determination issued on April 20, 2026, found that grid infrastructure supply chains, including distribution transformers and electrical core steel, are essential to national defense, and that U.S. industry faces critical constraints from limited domestic product capacity, extended procurement. On August 26, 2026, Radiant Industries stated that 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.

Also on August 26, 2026, Army officials noted that they don't expect all five of these companies are going to turn on a reactor in 2028. In fact, they definitely will not.

What's New

Later reporting clarified that Army officials do not expect all five companies to activate reactors by 2028, though they believe there is a practical pathway to delivering at least one by September 30, 2028. Additional details revealed that the program was unveiled at the Association of the U.S. Army Conference in Washington, D.C. Radiant disclosed it could receive up to $750 million under the Janus program.

Technical specifications emerged showing that Radiant’s design uses fuel made to its specifications, including Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles produced by Standard Nuclear using 19.75 percent high-assay, low-enriched uranium provided by the Department of Energy.

How Sources Differ

Details regarding the nuclear microreactors vary between sources. The U.S. Army press release stated that the U.S. Army announced plans to build nuclear microreactors at five military bases.