The US Air Force is advancing efforts to develop micro-nuclear reactors to power military installations. A request for information (RFI) has been posted on SAM.gov, stating that the Air Force said it is looking for information from companies on their ability to design, licence, fuel, construct, and deploy small nuclear reactor technologies.
By 2030 the Air Force aims to start equipping up to nine bases, including Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Outfitting bases with microreactors promises to ensure secure and reliable power better protected from cyberattacks and natural disasters than public utility systems.
The RFI says USAF plans to use information gathered from the query to discover whether enough sources exist for microreactors to hold a competitive procurement or whether a small business set-aside will be needed. It asks respondents to describe their core small, micro, or modular reactor technologies, including the type of reactor, its output, and how it could be deployed.
Companies also will have to describe domestic manufacturing facilities and their supply chains, including any foreign dependencies. They must detail leading indicators of reactor failure and early warning signals that should be monitored, among other technical details. The information will be used to define the service’s acquisition strategy. Companies must respond to the RFI by 19 April.
The purpose of the RFI “is to assist the Government in identifying potential offers for understanding the company’s capability to design, license, fuel, construct, and deploy small, micro, or modular Reactor (SMR) technologies in compliance with applicable regulatory, safety, environmental, and security requirements”. It says the information collected “will help assess industry confidence in achieving and installing a commercially viable Nth-of-a-Kind (NOAK) capability”.
