Federal energy and defense agencies on Feb. 15 completed the first air transport of a small nuclear reactor inside a military cargo plane, moving a Valar Atomics Ward microreactor - without nuclear fuel - from California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The flight used a C-17 transport and included senior officials from both the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, who described the mission as a test of the concept’s logistical feasibility.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey were on board the C-17 during the transfer, which officials framed as evidence that compact nuclear systems could be moved quickly to support both military operations and civilian needs. Duffey said the demonstration advances the ability to "deploy nuclear power when and where it is needed to give our nation’s warfighters the tools to win in battle."
The microreactor used in the exercise is one of Valar Atomics’ Ward units and is described by the company as slightly larger than a minivan. Valar’s chief executive, Isaiah Taylor, told reporters the unit can produce up to 5 megawatts of electricity, a capacity the company equated to powering approximately 5,000 homes. Taylor said the reactor will begin operating this July at an initial output of 100 kilowatts, reach 250 kilowatts later in the year, and ultimately be capable of its full 5 megawatt rating.
Valar has projected a timeline for commercialization: selling power on a test basis in 2027 and moving to full commercial operations in 2028. Taylor also noted that while private firms are financing their own reactor development, they require government action to enable domestic fuel fabrication and uranium enrichment.
Officials provided additional operational details: the fuel for Valar’s reactor will be transported from the Nevada National Security Site to a San Rafael facility, according to Energy Secretary Wright. For the demonstration flight itself, the reactor was transported without fuel.
Policy and program context
The demonstration occurs against a backdrop of policy moves intended to expand U.S. nuclear capacity. The current administration has identified small reactors as a component of efforts to broaden domestic energy production. Last May, four executive orders were issued with the stated aim of boosting domestic nuclear deployment to meet growing energy needs tied to national security and competitive advances in artificial intelligence. In December, the Energy Department awarded two grants intended to accelerate development of small modular reactors.
Proponents of microreactors emphasize their portability and potential to serve remote or dispersed locations that currently rely on diesel generators and frequent fuel resupply. The argument is that compact reactors could reduce reliance on fuel convoys by providing on-site electricity for military outposts, isolated communities, or emergency operations.
Critiques and unresolved issues
Not everyone views microreactors as a near-term commercial success. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said there is "no business case for microreactors," arguing they will generate electricity at significantly higher costs than large nuclear plants and many renewables if they function as designed. Lyman also cautioned that even small generators produce a notable volume of radioactive waste.
Other analysts cited in the discussion say reactor designers are not always required to incorporate waste reduction into initial designs beyond specifying how waste will be managed after generation. Disposal remains an unsettled question: Energy Department officials said they are in conversations with several states, including Utah, about hosting facilities that could either reprocess spent fuel or provide long-term disposal options.
Operational milestones
Energy Secretary Wright said the department plans to have three microreactors reach criticality - the point at which a nuclear chain reaction is self-sustaining - by July 4. The timeline and the airlift demonstration are intended to show how quickly such systems could be moved and brought online, but the broader commercial and waste-management pathways remain subject to federal policy choices and local hosting agreements.