US Air Force Announces Selections For Microreactor Deployments
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The US Department of the Air Force has selected Radiant Industries, Inc, Westinghouse Government Services and Antares Inc as potential microreactor developers and operators under its Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations initiative, as well as announcing a third potential location for a reactor.
The three companies have been selected by the Department of the Air Force (DAF), in conjunction with the Defense Innovation Unit, under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) programme, which aims to deploy advanced, contractor-owned and operated nuclear microreactors on DAF installations in partnership with commercial reactor companies. The initiative aims to have seeks to have at least one advanced nuclear reactor operating on at least one DAF installation by 2030 or sooner.
Earlier this month the DAF announced Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana as the first two sites chosen for the ANPI initiative. It has now added Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, as the third potential location to site a nuclear microreactor under the ANPI initiative.
The three selected companies were among a list of eight technology developers selected last year by the US Department of Defense as eligible to seek funding as part of the programme to provide fixed on-site microreactors at military installations (the other companies were BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, Kairos Power, LLC, Oklo Inc, and X-Energy, LLC). Each has now been paired with one of the sites: Radiant with Buckley; Westinghouse Government Services with Malmstrom; and Antares with San Antonio.
“The future of air and space dominance is powered by resilient energy,” said Michael Borders, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment. “By integrating advanced nuclear technology, we are not just keeping the lights on; we are guaranteeing that our most critical national security missions will never be held at risk by a power outage. This is a pivotal moment for the Department of the Air Force.”
Radiant is developing the Kaleidos high-temperature gas-cooled portable microreactor. A year-long testing programme to advance the development of the commercial 1.2 MWe reactor design is expected to begin this year at the Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME test facility. The company says the first Kaleidos reactors will be delivered by 2028.
“Together with our incredible government partners, Radiant is making the nuclear renaissance a reality,” Radiant Chief Revenue Officer Mike Starrett said. “The American energy industry needs to make progress now, not in 5 or 10 years. With a full-power reactor already under assembly, Radiant will deliver.”
Antares, founded in 2023, is developing the R1 sodium heat pipe-cooled microreactor, and says it is on track to conduct a reactor demonstration in 2026 and test its first electricity-producing reactor in 2027, with initial production deployments beginning in 2028. The company is in the final phase of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program to build a reactor that achieves criticality before 4 July this year. BWX Technologies began fabrication of the TRISO fuel for the company’s initial reactors last October.
Antares CEO and founder Jordan Bramble said the company is “grateful and proud” to partner with Joint Base San Antonio, the DAF and the Defense Innovation Unit: “We built this company to deliver resilient power for missions like this,” he said.
Westinghouse’s eVinci is also a heat pipe-cooled microreactor, which can produce up to 5 MWe with a 15 MWt core design, running for eight or more full-power years before refuelling. The technology is designed to be factory-built and assembled before it is shipped.
“Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactor is perfectly suited to ensure our Armed Forces have the reliable and resilient energy they need for mission-critical operations globally,” said Rich Rademacher, President, Westinghouse Government Services. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the Department of the Air Force and the Defense Innovation Unit.”
The ANPI programme is separate from the Department of the Air Force’s microreactor pathfinder project at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, which the department describes as a standalone effort demonstrating the feasibility and operational benefits of a microreactor at a single installation.
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