The US Department of the Army has selected nine installations for consideration as sits for microreactor power plants, while the Defense Innovation Unit has released an Area of Interest (AOI) to solicit commercial solutions for advanced nuclear power technologies.

This is the next stage in the Janus Program, the Army’s next-generation nuclear power programme, which aims to deliver secure, resilient, and reliable energy to support national defence installations and critical missions in line with Executive Order 14299 Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security. The Army said the programme will build commercial microreactors through a milestone-based contracting model “to accelerate delivery of advanced energy solutions to the warfighters”, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

The Army has identified nine sites following comprehensive analysis and on-site assessments to find optimal locations for initial deployment. The process evaluated mission critical installations, energy requirements and resiliency gaps, power infrastructure, environmental and technical considerations. These sites mark the first step in expanding national energy resilience through next-generation nuclear technology.

The selected sites are:

  • Fort Benning (Georgia), the US Army’s premier training centre;
  • Fort Bragg (North Carolina), home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces and the largest US Army base by population;
  • Fort Campbell (located between the Kentucky–Tennessee border), home to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and to two Special Operations Command units;
  • Fort Drum (New York), home of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) serves as a training facility for Reserve and National Guard units;
  • Fort Hood (Texas), the Army’s premier installation to train and deploy heavy forces;
  • Fort Wainwright (Alaska), home to the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division and the Arctic Aviation Command;
  • Holston Army Ammunition Plant (Tennessee), a government-owned and contractor-operated facility that produces explosives for the US military, operated by BAE Systems Ordnance Systems;
  • Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Washington), provides installation support functions by the Army-led Joint Base Garrison to Army, Navy and Marines;
  • Redstone Arsenal (Alabama), a Federal Centre of Excellence for Logistics & Acquisition Services; Space Operations & Missile Defense; Research, Development, Test & Engineering; and Intelligence & Homeland Defense.

“These early site selections align with the Department of War’s goal of accelerating the pace of deploying on-site nuclear generation at our installations,” said Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “Through the use of the Army’s unique nuclear regulatory authorities, we are deploying a resilient, secure, and reliable energy supply for critical defence operations and in support of the most lethal land-based fighting force in the world.”

While the final number and location for these microreactors on Army installations will be determined as part of the acquisition process, the Army is committed to maximising the number of sites based on technical feasibility, site suitability, and available resources.

The Janus Program is leveraging the Department of Energy (DOE) and its network of National Labs to ensure the appropriate expertise is applied to the evaluation of proposed designs, operational plans, and emergency preparedness plans. The Army said the rollout of Janus technology will occur in stages as the Army validates lessons learned and ensures safe, efficient implementation. “These projects will be self-contained and protected appropriately. All projects will comply with the applicable federal, state, and local regulations, and leverage the safety features inherent in next-generation reactor designs. The Army does not anticipate any significant

Under a memorandum of agreement with DIU, the Army will utilise its Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) to begin the solicitation process which will result in awarding select vendors Other Transactions (OTs) to execute on the Janus Program goals. An AOI notification on the DIU’s website will solicit industry concepts for deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. The AOI will gather technical and operational information from industry regarding deployment and use of microreactors on military installations to begin the CSO process.

“We’ve established a great partnership with the US Army,” said DIU Energy Portfolio Director, Dr Andrew Higier. “DIU is ready and excited to leverage our rapid CSO process to execute the Janus Program in collaboration with our government and industry partners. This collaboration will deliver advanced nuclear energy to Army installations, ensuring their most critical missions always have resilient and ready power.”

Dr Jeff Waksman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment noted: “The Janus Program is taking its first step toward pairing specific nuclear reactor designs to specific US Army installations. We will move to bending metal as quickly as possible, leveraging the enormous amount of technical talent gathered to execute this program.”

The Janus Program was announced in October after President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order charging the Army to start operation of a nuclear reactor at a domestic military base or installation by 30 September 2028.