US Military Completes First Airlift of Miniature Nuclear Reactor
Three C-17 transport aircraft carried the unfueled reactor modules on Sunday from March Air Reserve Base to Hill Air Force Base, where testing is expected to begin. Pentagon and Energy Department officials, alongside journalists and industry representatives, accompanied the reactor during the roughly hour-long flight.
Developed by Valar Atomics, the reactor is part of the administration’s push to accelerate next-generation nuclear technology, with Trump aiming to have at least three advanced reactors operational on US soil by July 4.
Proponents argue that compact reactors could provide reliable energy to remote or military locations, while critics caution that fast-tracked, privately built designs may raise safety concerns.
“Energy is not just an economic issue, although it is that, it is a national security issue as well,” said Spencer Cox. Defense acquisition chief Michael Duffey added that the mission “gets us closer to deploying nuclear power when and where it is most needed to give our nation’s war fighters the tools to win.”
According to Isaiah Taylor, CEO of Valar Atomics, initial testing will begin at 250 kilowatts, with the reactor ultimately capable of producing up to five megawatts—enough to power roughly 5,000 homes—using TRISO fuel and helium cooling instead of conventional water-based systems.
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