The U.S. Department of the Army has launched the Janus Program, a strategic initiative to deploy state-of-the-art nuclear micro-reactors at U.S. military installations. This move responds to the need to ensure a secure, continuous and resilient energy source in the face of external disruptions.
Advanced mission-critical power
The program, announced during the AUSA 2025 conference, is being implemented in coordination with the Department of Energy and under the support of Executive Order 14299. The goal is to operate a reactor on national territory by September 2028.
These power units will be critical to support real-time military operations, training and deployments in adverse conditions.
An alliance that takes up the historical legacy
The collaboration between the Army and the Department of Energy harkens back to the roots of the Manhattan Project, when science and nuclear engineering joined forces in the service of national security. This time, the emphasis is on peaceful and strategic applications that strengthen the internal energy capabilities of military bases.
Janus will adopt a milestone contracting scheme, similar to that used by NASA in its COTS program, encouraging private companies to develop and operate the reactors. The reactors will be commercially owned, but will have technical supervision by the Army, which will also provide support in the uranium supply chain and nuclear logistics.
Lessons from the Pele project applied to Janus
Much of the technical expertise comes from Project Pele, a previous initiative to design transportable reactors. Lessons learned there are serving as the basis for accelerating the development and implementation of Janus. The goal is to make the transition from design to operational delivery smooth and without excessive bureaucracy.
Impact on industry and defense
Beyond the direct benefit to the military infrastructure, the Janus Janus Program Program seeks to energize the U.S. nuclear sector by boosting the manufacturing, testing and operation of compact reactors. This could open new commercial routes and consolidate the country’s energy autonomy in scenarios of high demand or conflict.
Oversight of the program is in the hands of Dr. Jeff Waksman, who assured that this effort will deliver tangible results for national energy security, without relying on projections or distant prototypes.
We are ready to deploy real solutions that support our defense capabilities and strengthen our energy infrastructure from within.
Waksman concluded.
Source: U.S. Department of the Army
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