Indiana to get its first power-producing nuclear reactor

Naval Weapons Station Crane is described by the US Department of War as one of the nation's "premier warfighting innovation and capability development hubs". This reactor deployment "marks the first step in a larger, unified Department-wide effort to deploy safe and secure nuclear power for national security", with the micromodular reactor (MMR) installation providing reliable, around-the-clock power independent of the commercial electric grid, capable of sustaining critical operations under the most demanding conditions, it said. 

The MMR installation is being executed through the Army's Janus Program, and implements two Executive Orders issued by President Donald Trump last year: Executive Order 14299 - Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security, which aims for operation of an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation no later than 30 September 2028, and Executive Order 14302 - Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base. The Department said the MMR will be installed at Crane by the September 2028 deadline.

Launched last October, Janus is a next-generation nuclear power programme aimed at delivering "resilient, secure, and assured energy to support national defence installations and critical missions". The US Department of War's 9 September announcement comes several weeks after the US Department of the Army selected five microreactor developers for deployment at five Department of War installations as part of the programme.

The MMR installation at Crane is being executed through the Janus Program in coordination with the Department of the Navy, the Department of War Innovation Unit, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, which is leading the coordination of key stakeholders across the Department to integrate and execute the Crane project.

"At Critical Technologies, we start from a simple first principle: a technology matters only when it reaches the mission," Mike Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, said. "Our standard is to field and deploy capability within 24 months or less."

This initiative builds on more than a year of close coordination between the Department of War and Indiana state leadership, the Department said, adding that it "will continue to work with Federal, state, and local partners throughout the required safety, environmental, regulatory, and installation processes. Nuclear safety, physical security, cybersecurity, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources will remain central at every stage."

Indiana Senator Todd Young described the announcement is "exciting news" for Indiana, saying: "This first-of-its-kind mission will bring the highest levels of nuclear expertise to our state and is another example of the important role Hoosiers are playing in our national security."