FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Fort Bragg has been selected as one of the U.S. Army’s first five sites for a nuclear microreactor under the Janus Program, with Antares Nuclear chosen for the North Carolina installation.
The Army and the Defense Innovation Unit are awarding up to a combined $2.2 billion across five nuclear-energy vendors and five initial military installations. The program is intended to provide secure, resilient power for military operations while supporting development of a domestic advanced-nuclear industry.
Antares Nuclear was paired with Fort Bragg. The other initial vendors are BWXT Advanced Technologies, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, Radiant Industries and Westinghouse Government Services at installations in Kentucky, Texas, Georgia and New York.
The Army said the $2.2 billion program funding will be distributed across fiscal years 2027 through 2031 using milestone-based payments. Vendors will receive government funding after meeting specific technical goals, and the prototype reactors will be contractor-owned and operated.
With additional private investment, the Army expects more than 20 microreactors could eventually be built and operated across Department of War installations.
The Army is working toward a September 2028 target for operation of a first reactor at a military installation. The announcement does not say that Fort Bragg will be the first site to reach operation.
The Army also did not disclose the individual value of Antares’ Fort Bragg agreement, the reactor’s exact capacity, the precise location on the installation or a project-specific construction schedule.
For North Carolina, the selection puts Fort Bragg at the center of an early deployment of advanced nuclear technology focused on defense energy resilience.