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Why the U.S. Army is adding nuclear microreactors to military bases

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
FOX 5 Atlanta
Military
Published August 26, 2026 9:02 PM EDT
Published August 26, 2026 9:02 PM EDT

The Brief

    • The U.S. Army selected five companies to construct and operate nuclear microreactors across five military bases, including Fort Benning in Georgia. 
    • Vendors will share up to $2.2 billion in funding if they hit technical milestones to power defense installations independently from commercial grids. 
    • Army leaders target Sept. 30, 2028, to have the first microreactor running under military oversight, while critics express concern over safety and funding structure. 

FORT BENNING, Ga. - The U.S. Army announced Wednesday it is partnering with five nuclear energy vendors to build and operate microreactors at five military bases to ensure reliable power separate from local electric grids. 

Nuclear microreactors at Fort Benning

What we know:

The Department of the Army selected five industry vendors to deploy nuclear microreactors across initial base locations under the new Janus Program. 

The projects align Antares Nuclear, Inc. at Fort Bragg in North Carolina; BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC at Fort Campbell in Kentucky; General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood in Texas; Radiant Industries, Inc. at Fort Benning in Georgia; and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum in New York. 

Under milestone-based contracts awarded alongside the Department of Defense Innovation Unit, vendors can receive up to $2.2 billion combined through fiscal years 2027 to 2031. 

Army officials expect more than 20 total contractor-owned microreactors to be built across military sites. 

The Army is aiming to meet a target from President Donald Trump’s executive order to have a first reactor operating on a military installation by Sept. 30, 2028.

Energy resilience

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet specified which of the five sites will house the first operational reactor by the September 2028 target. Specific technical goals required for vendors to receive milestone payments have not been publicly detailed. 

It remains unclear how off-site waste transfer procedures with the Department of Energy will be finalized, though officials stated there will be no long-term radioactive waste storage on the bases. 

Military base grid backup

Why you should care:

Major military installations use as much electricity as small cities and currently rely on diesel generators as backup power for critical infrastructure. 

Army officials warned that transporting fossil fuels during a conflict may prove difficult, making long-running nuclear microreactors a vital alternative. 

The reactors will supply between 1 megawatt and 20 megawatts of electricity directly to military systems without relying on vulnerable commercial power grids. 

Energy sector debate

The other side:

Critics of the program, including nuclear policy experts, argue that microreactors are overly expensive and represent a hidden government subsidy for unproven technologies. 

Concerns were also raised because the military microreactors will be licensed directly by the Army rather than the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Army leaders countered that the reactors are engineered to shut down safely during failures, adding that the Army is aligning its processes so designs can eventually earn commercial regulatory approval. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official press statements issued by the Department of the Army and reporting from Associated Press journalists Jennifer McDermott and Matthew Daly. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.

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