The Army is moving the Janus Program into its next phase by naming nine bases as candidates for nuclear microreactors, marking a major step toward placing advanced nuclear power on U.S. military installations.
The effort aims to give critical Army posts a secure, adaptable power source capable of operating independently from the civilian grid while also accelerating the broader advanced nuclear industry.
Janus is the Army’s next generation nuclear power initiative designed to deliver resilient, secure, and reliable electricity for national defense and other high priority missions. The program responds to President Trump’s Executive Order 14299 in directing federal agencies to deploy advanced reactors for national security purposes and is structured around commercial microreactors owned and operated by private industry under Army oversight.
Army leaders frame Janus as a warfighting enabler, ensuring that bases, weapons systems, and command networks have uninterrupted power in the event of grid instability, natural disasters, or attacks. The program builds on experience from Project Pele, the Army’s earlier transportable microreactor effort, and leverages the expertise of Department of Energy national laboratories for technical, legal, and safety analysis.
Following a selection process that assessed mission criticality, energy demand, resilience gaps, existing infrastructure, and environmental factors, the Army identified nine potential host installations:
• Fort Benning, Georgia
• Fort Bragg, North Carolina • Fort Campbell, Kentucky/ Tennessee
• Fort Drum, New York
• Fort Hood, Texas
• Fort Wainwright, Alaska
• Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Tennessee
• Joint Base Lewis Mc-Chord, Washington
• Redstone Arsenal, Alabama Officials emphasize that final reactor locations will come from the acquisition process, noting that deployment schedules will vary by site and will be shaped by planning, technical assessments, and community engagement.
The microreactors envisioned under Janus are far smaller than traditional nuclear plants and are designed as factory built, modular units that can operate independently from the civilian grid. The Army describes the systems as “safe by design,” incorporating enhanced security features and improved waste management approaches compared with older reactors.
Reactors will be self-contained with appropriate protection and emergency preparedness, and the Army says it does not expect significant land use impacts. All deployments must meet federal, state, and local rules while also using the Army’s own nuclear authorities in coordination with Department of Energy to oversee safety and fuel cycle issues.
To move from concept to design, the Army signed a memorandum of agreement with the Defense Innovation Unit, which will use its rapid acquisition pathways to solicit and prototype commercial reactor concepts. DIU has issued an area of interest notice inviting industry to propose designs tailored to Army installation needs, initiating a Commercial Solutions Opening process that will lead to other transaction agreements with selected vendors.
This model mirrors procurement strategies used in space and defense innovation efforts, using progression- based payments to help companies mature designs and prepare for multi-unit production. Army and DIU leaders say the partnership is intended both to deliver resilient on-base power and to strengthen domestic nuclear manufacturing and supply chains.
Janus will deploy in stages. Designs will undergo review with DOE and national laboratory experts, including analysis of normal operations, emergency planning, and limits on radiation and access to controls.
The Army also emphasizes commitment to transparency, acknowledging that nearby communities have a direct stake in how on-post reactors operate. Ongoing public engagement and information sharing will continue as site specific plans develop. Janus is described as both an energy security investment and a testbed for broader U.S. deployment of advanced nuclear power.
For Oklahoma lawmakers, Janus serves as a real-world federal proof of concept: if microreactors can operate safely on Army installations, similar technologies could support mission-critical loads at state bases and bolster industrial reliability in a state that already promotes an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. The program’s emphasis on modularity, tight oversight, and community engagement offers Oklahoma a ready framework for future civilian or dual use projects.
This momentum helps explain the Legislature’s 2025 adoption of Senate Bill 130, which directs the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of nuclear generation, including possible sites near military bases that may require hardened power sources. The study examines reactor types, siting criteria, safety standards, workforce needs, and supply chain capacity, effectively evaluating how Janus-style technologies could integrate into Oklahoma’s grid and economy.
Key elements of SB 130 include:
• Explicit evaluation of small modular reactors and microreactors, mirroring Janus’ factory built, grid independent designs.
• Assessment of siting near military installations to help meet federal resiliency standards under 10 U.S. Code § 2920, aligning with Janus’ focus on critical bases, even though Oklahoma was not selected as an initial host.
• Review of safety, supply chains, workforce needs, and federal incentives, all of which reflect Janus’ priorities such as DIU vendor scaling and DOE oversight.
SB 130 serves as Oklahoma’s onramp to the federal nuclear expansion: the study helps position Oklahoma firms for Janus-related subcontracts, prepares bases for potential support roles, and builds political consensus should the state pursue nuclear projects if early Janus deployments prove successful.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission must collaborate with utilities for data, ensuring grid integration insights that reflect Janus style microgrid requirements.
Supporters of SB 130 argue that nuclear energy is the next step in the state’s energy diversification and reliability strategy, positioning Oklahoma to integrate into the same technologies and supply chains now emerging on Army installations.