The US Army plans to install small nuclear reactors on nine domestic bases by 2027–2028 under Project Janus, an initiative aimed at boosting energy resilience and supporting future combat operations, according to Task & Purpose. Announced at the Association of the US Army conference, the project reflects a broader military shift toward sustainable and reliable energy sources for large-scale conflicts. Project Janus also aligns with national efforts to revitalize the US nuclear industry, with support from the Defense Innovation Unit and a directive from President Trump requiring reactor deployment by 2028. The Army envisions modular, mobile reactors that can eventually be forward-deployed, similar to nuclear-powered submarines. They write:
The Army says it will install small nuclear reactors as power plants on nine U.S. bases as it effort they’re calling Project Janus — a name chosen for its reference to the Roman god of doorways or, more philosophically, transitions.
“This is about the transition from prototypes to fully commercial nuclear power to provide energy resilience with our soldiers,” said Jeff Waksman, principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment said Tuesday at the annual conference of the Association of the U.S. Army in Washington D.C. […]
The goal of Project Janus is to have small nuclear reactors powering parts of military installations at nine bases in the U.S. by 2027 and 2028, Col. Marty Meiners told Task & Purpose. The Army will be putting out more information on program details in the coming weeks. […]
In June 2024, Defense Innovation Unit, DIU, and the Army put out a call to private companies looking for nuclear power sources with the plan “to quickly access and ramp nuclear micro-reactor energy commercial capabilities that can be scaled up for deployment at Defense installations.” Officials said in a release that Project Janus would also be a partnership with DIU. […]
“This sounds like a dream or a fantasy. We do it today. Think of nuclear submarines,” Wright said. “That changed the game for submarines, changed the game for our Navy. And I think we can do the same thing with our Army, with small reactors that can be deployed in all different settings.”
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