Antares Nuclear was selected for Fort Bragg in North Carolina. BWXT Advanced Technologies was paired with Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will work at Fort Hood in Texas. Radiant Industries was selected for Fort Benning in Georgia, while Westinghouse Government Services was assigned to Fort Drum in New York.
The reactors will provide baseload power for military installations and reduce reliance on external grids. The Army also expects the program to support domestic nuclear manufacturing and U.S. technology development.
“Awarding these contracts accelerates our ability to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations,” said Dan Driscoll, Secretary of the Army. “We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids.”
Janus uses a milestone-based funding structure covering fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Companies will receive government payments only after meeting specific technical targets.
The selected vendors must also provide significant private investment. Each prototype reactor will be owned and operated by its contractor.
“We are seeking not just reactors capable of turning on for a brief demonstration, but rather systems able to deliver power with high-capacity factors for years of operation,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “The Janus Program will be a complete success when and only when we have assisted multiple nuclear companies in developing truly reliable and affordable nuclear microreactors which they can sell to other buyers beyond just the military.”
The selection followed an industry review led through the Department of War Innovation Unit. Specialists from the Department of Energy, national laboratories and the military services assessed technical risk, finances and management capacity.
The Army evaluated potential locations for about a year. The review covered energy needs, seismic conditions, hydrology and safety.
The Army is targeting September 2028 for the first Army-regulated reactor to begin operating at a military installation. The deadline was set under President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14299.
Janus is expected to expand beyond the five initial Army sites. Additional locations operated by the Army and other military services will be announced later.
The Army will also work with public and privatized utility providers on the deployments. It has invited utilities to pursue larger grid-facing power projects at Army installations.
“When DOE created an authorization pathway for the demonstration of advanced reactor designs, we quickly began to realize how valuable these technologies could be for fortifying our national defense infrastructure,” said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “We are honored to work in lockstep with the Army to leverage nuclear energy innovation in support of our country’s military operations at home and abroad.”
Source: U.S. Army (press release).
