The Department of the Army has launched the Janus Program—a nuclear energy initiative unveiled at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting—to deliver secure, reliable power for defense installations and mission-critical operations, including training, deployment and combat.
How Will Army’s Janus Program Advance Nuclear Energy?
The Army said Tuesday the Janus Program, building on lessons learned from Project Pele, its first transportable nuclear reactor initiative, will collaborate with the Defense Innovation Unit to develop commercial microreactors. The effort will use a flexible, milestone-driven contracting approach designed to fast-track the deployment of advanced energy capabilities to military users.
Modeled after NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, this framework ensures reactors remain commercially owned and operated, with milestone payments structured to support industry partners in achieving “Nth-of-a-kind” production.
The Army will also offer technical guidance and support covering the entire uranium fuel cycle and the wider nuclear supply chain to reinforce both national defense and domestic industrial capacity. The program will utilize the Army’s nuclear regulatory authority, working closely with the Department of Energy to uphold rigorous safety, oversight and transparency standards.
The Janus program supports Executive Order 14299, which directs the Department of Defense to initiate the operation of an Army-regulated nuclear reactor by Sept. 30, 2028.
