The U.S. Army has awarded contracts totaling up to $2.2 billion to five companies to design, build and deploy microreactors at domestic military installations under the Janus program. The awards, announced on Aug. 26, support factory-built nuclear plants capable of generating up to 20 megawatts each.
Radiant Industries received the largest allocation, up to $750 million, to deliver 15 of its Kaleidos reactors by September 2028. The company estimates delivered power costs between 20 and 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, below the roughly 40 cents per kWh currently paid to power remote Arctic installations, as containerized units eliminate transmission infrastructure expenses.
The remaining four contracts were distributed as follows: Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; BWXT Advanced Technologies at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood, Texas; and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum, New York. Each site will host a single 20 MW microreactor under the initial phase.
Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, stated the program aims to transition from military-specific solutions to a commercial product suitable for broader markets such as data centers by around 2030. The reactors will be regulated by the Army while complying with commercial environmental and safety standards, Waksman added.
Radiant’s Chief Commercial Officer Mike Starrett highlighted the cost-reduction focus, noting that the Janus initiative seeks to demonstrate how microreactor economics can compete with conventional generation despite higher upfront capital requirements.
