- DOW has selected NWS Crane for the Navy’s first shore-based nuclear microreactor deployment
- The reactor will be installed under the Army’s Janus Program no later than September 2028
- The Navy, Army and State of Indiana are jointly executing the microreactor project
The Department of War has selected Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in Indiana as the site for the U.S. Navy’s first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor, setting an operational target date no later than September 2028.
The commercially owned and operated unit will establish the first power-generating nuclear reactor in Indiana, creating a shore-based clean power infrastructure designed to operate independently of the civilian grid.
The project directly implements presidential executive directives aimed at deploying next-generation nuclear reactor capabilities for national security and bolstering the domestic nuclear industrial base, DOW said Wednesday.
Which Agencies Are Leading the Joint Effort at Crane?
The deployment at NWS Crane is being executed as a joint effort between the Army’s Janus Program, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment and the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. Additional operational management is provided by the Department of War Innovation Unit and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies.
By merging the Army’s designated authority as the military’s executive agent for installation nuclear energy with the Navy’s operational needs at Crane, defense officials are attempting to create a repeatable procurement framework for joint-force energy independence. They are also turning to the state of Indiana to act as an intergovernmental partner to align state energy modernization with critical defense infrastructure requirements.
The Army has separately advanced the Janus Program by selecting nine candidate installations for microreactor deployment and by issuing a DIU solicitation for commercial nuclear technologies.
What Are Officials Saying About the Reactor’s Strategic Value?
Defense officials are utilizing accelerated acquisition frameworks to push advanced microreactors from prototype concepts into active installation defense.
Emil Michael, under secretary of war for research and engineering and a 2026 Wash100 awardee, highlighted that the department is actively unleashing the American nuclear industrial base. He stressed that this effort gives military installations the resilient, off-grid infrastructure necessary to maintain uninterrupted operations.
Operating within the Contested Logistics Critical Technology Area, procurement teams are targeting capability fieldings within 24 months or less.
“At Critical Technologies, we start from a simple first principle: a technology matters only when it reaches the mission,” said Mike Dodd, assistant secretary of war for critical technologies. “Our standard is to field and deploy capability within 24 months or less. President Trump’s Executive Order gave the Department a clear mandate to move advanced nuclear power from promise to deployment.”
Officials noted that leveraging private-sector microreactor designs bypasses traditional defense procurement delays while injecting capital directly into domestic nuclear manufacturing supply chains.
Why Is Microreactor Power Critical to NWS Crane?
As a hub for high-voltage warfighting tech development, microelectronics and weapons development, NWS Crane requires reliable, uninterrupted electrical power to sustain high-demand research and production facilities. The microreactor installation will provide continuous baseload energy insulated from off-base power interruptions.
Navy officials emphasized that shore energy security directly underpins fleet readiness. Dedicated power generation protects sensitive operational systems against emerging physical strikes, cyber interference and regional commercial grid failures.
How Has Indiana’s Congressional Delegation Supported the Project?
The initiative builds on more than a year of coordination between the Department of War and Indiana state leadership. Sen. Jim Banks has played a lead role in advancing the project from concept to installation, with additional support from Gov. Mike Braun, Sen. Todd Young, Rep. Erin Houchin and Rep. Mark Messmer. This support helped clear the path to move quickly on securing national defense infrastructure in the state.
The DOW will continue working with federal, state and local partners through required safety, environmental and regulatory processes as the project advances toward its 2028 target, a timeline that aligns with the $2.2 billion in Janus Program awards the Army issued to five vendors for reactors at other installations.
