The military transported a 5-megawatt microreactor aboard a C-17 cargo plane from California to Utah for testing. The successful flight marks a major step toward deploying mobile nuclear power for remote bases and disaster zones.
On February 15, the US Air Force flew a complete Ward 250 nuclear reactor from March Air Reserve Base in California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah . Three C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carried the reactor’s eight modular components on the nearly 700-mile trip.
California startup Valar Atomics developed the Ward 250 microreactor. The project, called Project Janus, involves the Department of Defense and Department of Energy working together to bring portable nuclear power to military installations.
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Remote military bases currently rely on diesel generators and vulnerable fuel supply lines that enemies could cut . Future warfare will need massive amounts of power for AI data centers, directed-energy weapons, and cyber infrastructure that the civilian grid wasn’t built to handle.
The Ward 250 uses TRISO fuel—uranium kernels encased in ceramic layers—and helium instead of water as a coolant . It will begin testing at 250 kilowatts and scale up to a full 5 megawatts, enough to power about 5,000 homes.
The reactor could provide energy security for bases without depending on local power grids . In overseas operations, such reactors would mean US forces could operate without fear of fuel supply disruptions . Potential locations include forward bases in the Indo-Pacific like Kadena Air Base in Japan.
The reactor was transported without nuclear fuel, and significant questions remain about safety and cost . Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists called the flight a “dog-and-pony show” that doesn’t prove the project is feasible, economic, or safe for military and public use . Waste disposal and secure transport of fueled reactors remain unresolved.
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President Trump has pledged to have at least three advanced reactors operational by July 4 . Energy Secretary Chris Wright called it “the start of a nuclear renaissance,” while Isaiah Taylor, CEO of Valar Atomics, argued only nuclear power can enable America’s technological and industrial revival . If successful, these microreactors could transform how the military—and eventually civilian sectors—access reliable power anywhere in the world.
