US military airlifts microreactor from California to Utah on C-17 as Trump pushes rapid nuclear power deployment

The Pentagon and the Energy Department airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah for the first time, showcasing what officials described as the United States’ ability to rapidly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use, AP reported.

The nearly 700-mile flight on February 15 transported a 5-megawatt microreactor, without nuclear fuel, aboard a C-17 military aircraft from March Air Reserve Base in California to Hill Air Force Base. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of Defence Michael Duffey travelled with the privately built reactor and described the mission as a breakthrough in efforts to accelerate commercial licensing of advanced microreactors.

The reactor, about the size of a minivan, is one of at least three expected to reach “criticality” by July 4, when a nuclear reaction can sustain itself, as promised by President Donald Trump, Wright said.


"Today is history. A multi-megawatt, next-generation nuclear power plant is loaded in the C-17 behind us," Wright said before the two-hour flight, according to AP.

"That's speed, that's innovation, that's the start of a nuclear renaissance," he said.

The demonstration underscores the Trump administration’s push to expand nuclear power to meet rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centres, as well as military needs. Trump has supported nuclear energy as a carbon-free source of electricity, while also prioritising coal and other fossil fuels and expressing hostility toward renewable energy.

Last year, Trump signed executive orders allowing Wright to approve some advanced reactor designs and projects, shifting authority from the independent agency that has regulated the US nuclear industry for five decades.

There are currently 94 operable nuclear reactors in the United States, generating about 19 per cent of the nation’s electricity, according to the US Energy Information Administration. That figure is down from 104 reactors in 2013 and includes two new large reactors in Georgia, the first built from scratch in a generation.

Industry and government have increasingly focused on smaller, more efficient designs, including small modular reactors proposed by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Microreactors are designed to be portable and could further accelerate deployment.

The demonstration flight "gets us closer to deploy nuclear power when and where it is needed to give our nation's warfighters the tools to win in battle," Duffey said, according to AP.

Eventually, officials said, mobile reactors could provide energy security for military bases independent of the civilian grid.

Isaiah Taylor, CEO of Valar Atomics, the California startup that produced the reactor, said it can generate up to 5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 5,000 homes. The company aims to begin selling power on a test basis next year and become fully commercial by 2028.

Skeptics have warned that nuclear energy poses risks and questioned whether microreactors are safe, feasible or economically viable.

Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, described the flight as little more than "a dog-and-pony show" that demonstrated only the Pentagon’s ability to transport heavy equipment, AP reported.

The flight "doesn't answer any questions about whether the project is feasible, economic, workable or safe - for the military and the public," Lyman said in an interview, according to AP.

Lyman added that the Trump administration "hasn't made the safety case" for transporting fuel-loaded microreactors securely to data centres or military bases. He also noted unresolved questions about nuclear waste disposal.

Wright said the Energy Department is in discussions with Utah and other states about hosting facilities to reprocess fuel or handle permanent disposal. The reactor flown to Utah will be tested at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab, while fuel will be supplied by the Nevada National Security site, Taylor said.

"The answer to energy is always more," Wright said to AP. After four years of restrictions under the Biden administration, he added, "now we're trying to set everything free. And nuclear will be flying soon."