US Army targets first Army regulated reactor under Janus Programme in operation by 2028.

The U.S. Army introduced the Janus Program at the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, outlining a plan for industry-built microreactors to deliver resilient power to bases by 2028. The push aligns with Executive Order 14299 and aims to harden installations against grid failures while accelerating advanced reactor deployment with DOE support.

Citing a need for uninterrupted energy at critical facilities, Army officials used the AUSA stage to roll out Janus, a next-generation nuclear initiative that channels commercial developers to build, own, and operate microreactors under Army technical oversight and DOE fuel coordination. The timeline is anchored by Executive Order 14299, signed May 23, 2025, which directs the Army to start operations of an Army-regulated reactor on U.S. soil no later than September 30, 2028, and tasks DOE to use its authorities to enable privately financed advanced reactors supporting national security missions.
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Aerial view of Fort Carson showing base facilities and the potential for energy islanding linked to the Janus program (Picture source: US DoD)

At the core of the announcement is a straightforward idea: resilient energy supports operational availability. The plan is for industry to build, own, and operate commercial microreactors, while the Army provides technical oversight, exercises its nuclear regulatory authorities, and coordinates the fuel cycle with DOE. The contracting approach follows NASA’s COTS model, with milestone payments designed to shift vendors from prototypes to repeatable “Nth-of-a-kind” units rather than one-off demonstrators. The structure is designed for schedule discipline and cost control.

Several technical elements stand out. First, the planning horizon targets microreactors of about 20 megawatts electric or less, compact enough for maritime or air transport yet capable of islanding a large base. Second, the reference technology path builds on Project Pele, a transportable Generation IV reactor using TRISO fuel based on HALEU, designed to produce electricity for up to three years without refueling and to fit within four 20-foot containers. Third, program documents and industry statements point to initial deployments at a limited number of sites before scaling up, contingent on fuel supply and regulatory milestones. These are the parameters that make the business case and deployment plan workable.

Executive Order 14299, signed on 23 May 2025, tasks the Army with establishing a program of record and starting operations of an Army-regulated reactor on U.S. soil by the end of fiscal year 2028. It also directs DOE to use its authorities to authorize privately financed advanced reactors in support of national security missions, including critical infrastructure. In brief, the White House set the deadline and division of roles; Janus is the Army’s instrument to meet them.

The gains are concrete. First, credible islanding. A base equipped with a microreactor can absorb regional outages, severe weather, or cyber incidents while keeping command centers, air and missile defense radars, depots, and medical facilities powered with stable frequency and voltage. Second, more predictable logistics. A three-year refueling cycle removes thousands of diesel deliveries, reduces the signature of fuel convoys, and frees transport assets for other needs. Third, power quality. Microreactors provide a steady baseload for energy-intensive functions such as ranges, simulators, and secure data environments, without intermittency or storage penalties. This does not exclude renewables or batteries; a reactor provides a constant anchor for a modern microgrid.

There are program risks related to fuel and licensing. Access to HALEU remains the tight point. U.S. enrichment capacity is being rebuilt, but near-term volumes are limited and legacy imports carry political and strategic constraints. DOE’s role is therefore central in sequencing fuel, siting, and safety requirements that industry cannot clear quickly on its own. Milestone-based awards are intended to align vendors with these dependencies rather than allowing open-ended development. The method has worked in other sectors; here, it will be tested against nuclear-specific safeguards and local engagement requirements.

Core fabrication for Project Pele has started, and officials indicate it would be the first Generation IV reactor to produce electricity in the United States once installed at Idaho National Laboratory for testing. The BWXT design’s containerized architecture enables rail or road movement and reduces site-preparation complexity. The Army, with DOE, intends to keep safety and transparency prominent under its regulatory authorities, a governance choice aimed at credibility with host communities and Congress.

Janus is not about cheaper kilowatt-hours. It is an energy-security hedge in a period when adversaries probe civilian grids and when the electrification of military functions, from autonomous logistics to high-power sensors, raises baseline loads at home stations. If the Army fields repeatable, licensed microreactors on U.S. soil by 2028, it would reinforce deterrence by reducing the appeal of infrastructure attacks and by indicating that bases can operate under stress. It would also affect the global nuclear industrial landscape.

Success would encourage allied interest in microreactors and increase demand for Western HALEU supply chains, narrowing room for leverage by Moscow and complicating China’s effort to shape norms and markets around small reactors. Failure would leave the narrative, and possibly key export opportunities, to competitors. Janus is therefore a test of the U.S. capacity to align policy, technology, and industry at pace. The deadline is tight. The issue extends beyond installed power.