US EditionPentagon and DOE Fly Advanced Nuclear Reactor to Utah for Testing
The Department of Energy and Defense aim to demonstrate fast deployment of microreactors with a 5 MW unit capable of powering 5,000 homes or military bases, testing set for mid-2026.
- On Sunday, February 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of War airlifted unfueled Valar Atomics Ward250 modules from March Air Reserve Base to Hill Air Force Base for testing at Utah San Rafael Energy Lab.
- Amid a regulatory push tied to President Donald Trump’s executive orders, agencies are speeding licensing to have at least three reactors producing energy by July 4, 2026.
- The six unfueled reactor modules supplied by Valar Atomics were airlifted with founder Isaiah Taylor and staff aboard multiple C-17s, featuring a five-megawatt microreactor powering 5,000 homes.
- Department officials said the reactor will move to Emery County and start generating power before July 4, 2026; Michael Duffey called it a "tremendous milestone" informing nuclear power capabilities.
- Despite proponents' praise, critics note microreactors lack a clear business case, high costs, and radioactive waste; Valar plans test sales in 2027 and full commercialization in 2028.
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Hawaii Tribune-Herald
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.
Evening Brief: Beware Deepfakes, US Boots in Nigeria, Pentagon Tests Air-Deployable Nuclear Micro-Reactor, Army Vet Robert Duvall Dies
From AI deepfakes targeting officials to quiet U.S. boots returning to West Africa and a nuclear micro-reactor riding a C-17 toward the future fight, the common thread is simple: trust, presence, and power are all being contested at once. Plus...We've lost Robert Duvall. #EveningBrief, #NationalSecurity, #DeepfakeThreat, #USMilitary, #WestAfrica, #NigeriaDeployment, #DefenseTech, #NuclearMicroreactor, #GreatPowerCompetition, #SOFREP #RobertDuval…
U.S. Airlifts First Microreactor In Nuclear Deployment Milestone
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief (Worthy News) – The U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense have transported a small nuclear reactor by military cargo aircraft for the first time, marking a significant milestone in President Donald Trump’s push to expand advanced nuclear energy across the country. Three C-17 transport planes carried the unfueled Ward 250 microreactor, developed by California-based Valar Atomics, from Mar…
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