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Pentagon and DOE Fly Advanced Nuclear Reactor to Utah for Testing
The Ward 250 microreactor, capable of powering 5,000 homes, was airlifted by U.S. Air Force C-17s for testing under the DOE’s pilot program advancing deployable nuclear energy.
- On Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, three USAF C-17s airlifted Valar Atomics' Ward 250 reactor modules from March Air Reserve Base, California, to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in Operation Windlord.
- The flight stems from a U.S. Department of Energy-U.S. Department of Defense pilot supporting President Donald Trump's executive orders to deploy reactors by July 4, 2026, with Valar Atomics speeding production under a 'commercial-first' strategy.
- Valar supplied six unfueled modules; Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey flew on the aircraft, and officials said TRISO fuel will come from Los Alamos and Nevada sites.
- Timeline-first: Initial operations will run at 100 to 250 kilowatts this year, while the U.S. Department of Energy aims for three microreactors to reach criticality by July 4, 2026.
- Critics warn microreactors may be costly and produce waste, while Utah residents and downwinders raised safety concerns tied to past fallout, despite Utah Governor Spencer Cox's economic promotion.
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US conducts first air transport of nuclear microreactor in bid to show technology’s viability
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — The U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense on Sunday for the first time transported a small nuclear reactor on a cargo plane from California to Utah to demonstrate the potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use.
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Total News Sources96
Leaning Left6Leaning Right27Center20Last UpdatedBias Distribution51% Right
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- 51% of the sources lean Right
51% Right
11%
C 38%
R 51%
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