TLDR
- The U.S. Army selected five companies to build nuclear microreactors at military bases, with the first expected online by September 2028.
- The government will spend up to $2.2 billion on at least 20 microreactors across five bases.
- Companies involved include BWX Technologies, Westinghouse, General Atomics, Radiant Industries, and Antares Nuclear.
- Venture capital is pouring into the sector, with startups like Valar Atomics raising $1 billion at a $6 billion valuation.
- Critics warn that security costs and permitting make commercial microreactor deployment economically difficult.
The U.S. Army has awarded contracts worth up to $2.2 billion to five companies to build nuclear microreactors at military bases across the country. The first reactor is expected to be operational by September 2028.
The U.S. Army announced today that it plans to add nuclear microreactors at 5 military bases from New York to Texas as a reliable source of energy independent of the commercial electric grid.
The Army expects that more than 20 microreactors will be built and operated.#uranium pic.twitter.com/6WYnpU92r9
— Stokdog (@stokdog) August 27, 2026
The program, called the Janus Program, was launched last year and is named after the Roman god of transitions. It is designed to give military installations a reliable power source that doesn’t depend on the commercial electric grid.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the move is about energy resilience. “We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids,” he said.
The five selected companies will build reactors at specific bases. Antares Nuclear will work at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. BWX Technologies will go to Fort Campbell in Kentucky. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will build at Fort Hood in Texas. Radiant Industries will work at Fort Benning in Georgia, with a contract worth up to $750 million for up to 15 reactors. Westinghouse Government Services will build at Fort Drum in New York.
Each reactor will produce between 1 and 20 megawatts of power, depending on the design. The bases will stay connected to the main grid. The reactors will not fully power them.
Why the Military Is Interested
The Army currently relies on diesel for backup power. In a conflict, moving fuel to remote locations is a challenge. Nuclear microreactors can run for years without refueling, making them a practical option for the military.
Unlike large nuclear plants, microreactors can be built in a factory and transported to a site. They are much cheaper to build than large reactors, which can cost over $10 billion each and take a decade to construct.
Some designs, like those from Radiant and Valar Atomics, use helium gas cooling instead of water. This is considered safer and reduces the risk of meltdowns.
Private Investment Is Growing
Venture capital is following the government money. Radiant has raised over $500 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and is valued at $1.9 billion. Valar Atomics raised $1 billion earlier this month at a $6 billion valuation. Antares raised $370 million last month.
A few microreactor companies have already gone public. Nano Nuclear is valued at around $1 billion. Terra Innovatum sits at $625 million. Deep Fission is near $400 million.
Investors are betting that military contracts will prove the technology works and open doors to commercial buyers, including AI data centers that need large amounts of power quickly.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics say security costs alone make remote commercial deployment uneconomical. A nuclear reactor requires 24-hour armed security, which is cost-effective on a military base but not at a remote civilian site. Some analysts also point to permitting costs as a barrier.
The Army expects private capital investment to run into the billions alongside federal funding.
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