HWBRIEF
Under the Janus Program, Antares, BWXT, General Atomics, Radiant, and Westinghouse will each demonstrate a small nuclear reactor at a named US base, with up to $2.2 billion available through 2031 if milestones hold.
The US Army has selected five companies to design and demonstrate small nuclear reactors, called microreactors, at five named military installations under its Janus Program, with milestone-gated government funding of up to $2.2 billion potentially available across 2027–2031 (World Nuclear News).
The vendors and host bases are: Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; BWXT Advanced Technologies at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood, Texas; Radiant Industries at Fort Benning, Georgia; and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum, New York (Breaking Defense).
The awards are the first under Executive Order 14299, signed in May 2025, which directs operation of an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation no later than 30 September 2028 (DefenseScoop). Antares' Mark-0 demonstration reactor has already reached criticality, the first under the Department of War.
Army leaders framed the contracts as a first-buyer strategy. "We want companies to succeed so that there are other buyers beyond just the military," said Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. The Department of War Innovation Unit is assisting on procurement speed.
The $2.2 billion is a contingent ceiling tied to technical milestones, not a firm contract total, and the 2028 date is a policy target, not an engineering forecast.