World’s first: US Air Force deploys portable nuclear power station [video]

For the first time, a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III has airlifted a complete, 5 MW nuclear reactor from March Air Reserve Base in California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah for assembly and operation, signaling a new era of deployable energy and logistical capabilities.

As students of historic wars will tell you, logistics is what wins wars – and the fact that America’s military has the ability to deploy a fully functional Burger King anywhere in the world in less than twenty-four hours should (and does) strike fear into the hearts of all who would oppose it. Now, however, it’s not the flame-broiled Whoppers that will be worrying the diplomats. Instead, it’s this: a 5MW, completely portable nuclear power station.

Meet Ward

At the heart of the exercise, dubbed “Project Janus,” is the Ward250 modular nuclear reactor. Developed by Valar Atomics, the Ward250 is designed to deliver 5 MW of electrical power at full capacity.

That is a ton of power, so to put it into perspective, the Ward250 can (allegedly) generate about 120 mWh of electricity in a 24 hour period. That’s enough to power a small town or, to put it another way, charge more than 600 Chevrolet Silverado EVs from empty to nearly full – a tremendous tactical advantage for future electric war machines that won’t require a train of vulnerable fueling rigs potentially hundreds of miles long to keep them rolling.

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That said, the advantages for portable power at this scale don’t begin and end with war fighting abilities. The ability to rapidly deploy reliable electricity for disaster response and remote medical and scientific outposts, supporting not only basic human needs, but also enough capacity to make isolated locations more, rather than less EV‑friendly – a sentiment echoed in the official release.

The successful delivery and installation of this reactor will unlock significant possibilities for the future of energy resilience and strategic independence for our nation’s defense, showcasing an agile, innovative, and commercial-first approach to solving critical infrastructure challenges. By harnessing the power of advanced nuclear technology, we are not only enhancing our national security but championing a future of American energy dominance.

US DEPT. OF WAR

The exercise proved that the US could load a containerized reactor onto an aircraft, fly it from points A to B with a 3,500 ft (1,000 m) runway, then assemble it and switch it on. Additionally, the program addresses the US Department of Defense War’s ever-growing need for dependable battlefield energy that’s removed from grid assets, both to power conventional operational assets and feed mobile data centers and electric vehicles.

Take a look at the images and video of Project Janus, below, then let us know what you think of the US’ latest logistical flex in the comments.

Project Janus images

SOURCE | IMAGES: US Dept. of War, via New Atlas.

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