On Monday, January 12, 2026, the U.S. Army announced a list of nine potential locations where miniaturized nuclear reactors will be deployed as power sources under the Janus Program.
Photo: AUSA
The next-generation military energy program codenamed Janus was launched on October 14, 2025, pursuant to an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump and signed in May of last year – EO 14299, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security – which concerns the delivery of safe, resilient, and reliable energy to support national defense installations and critical missions.
In cooperation with the Department of Defense’s research organization DIU (Defense Innovation Unit), the program will construct commercial microreactors using a milestone-based contracting model to accelerate the deployment of advanced energy solutions for the U.S. Army.
The U.S. Army identified nine locations through a comprehensive analysis and on-site evaluation process to determine optimal sites for the initial deployment of nuclear reactors. The assessment considered mission-critical installations, energy demand and resilience gaps, energy infrastructure, as well as environmental and technical factors. These facilities represent the first step toward enhancing domestic energy resilience through next-generation nuclear technology. Listed alphabetically, they are:
- Fort Benning, Georgia
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Fort Drum, New York
- Fort Hood, Texas
- Fort Wainwright, Alaska
- Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Tennessee
- Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington
- Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
Although the final number and placement of these microreactors at U.S. Army installations will be determined through the acquisition process, there is a commitment to maximizing the number of sites based on technical feasibility, site suitability, and available resources.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) represent a significant technological advancement in safety, security, and waste management. They are inherently safe by design, rather than relying on intervention protocols. The Janus Program leverages the U.S. Department of Energy and its national laboratory network to provide the necessary expertise for evaluating proposed designs, operational plans, and emergency preparedness strategies.
Deployment of Janus technology will occur in phases, as the U.S. Army validates lessons learned and ensures safe and effective implementation. These projects will be autonomous and appropriately protected. All initiatives will comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations and will incorporate safeguards characteristic of next-generation reactor designs. The U.S. Army does not anticipate any significant impact on land use at the installations. Detailed timelines for each location will be announced in the near future.
It is also worth noting that by the end of 2027, the first experimental miniaturized nuclear reactor for power generation will be commissioned at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska as part of a U.S. Air Force pilot program.
Earlier, in February 2019, a program for a miniaturized, mobile nuclear reactor, known as the Small Mobile Nuclear Reactor (SMNR) and codenamed Project Pele (formerly Project Dithulium), was launched. The system is intended to weigh less than 40 metric tons and deliver an output of 1–5 MW, using a so-called Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) design. On March 24, 2021, two contractors were selected to build prototype units: BWX Technologies of Lynchburg, Virginia, and X-energy of Greenbelt, Maryland.