Overview
- The Department of the Air Force named Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana as preferred hosts for contractor‑owned microreactors under its Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program.
- Each base will be matched with a commercial reactor vendor in the coming months, with operations targeted around 2030 pending environmental review and nuclear licensing.
- Selection criteria included land, utility capacity, and mission needs, with Buckley handling missile warning via Space Delta 4 and Malmstrom overseeing Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.
- Microreactors are small, transportable nuclear units that typically generate under 20 megawatts and can run up to 10 years to keep key systems powered during grid failures.
- The initiative is distinct from the Eielson AFB pilot with Oklo and aligns with the Army’s Project Janus plus a presidential order calling for an Army‑regulated reactor by September 30, 2028, and the Air Force also tested flying a containerized reactor to Utah in February for evaluation.