The U.S . Department of War is moving to install an advanced nuclear microreactor at Indiana's Naval Weapons Station Crane by September 2028.. This project marks a significant step in a nationwide effort to revitalize nuclear energy for both military and civilian use.
The September 2028 deployment at Naval Weapons Station Crane
The Department of War recently announced its intention to deploy the Navy's first advanced nuclear microreactor at the Naval Weapons Station Crane in Indiana. As reported by the source, this compact system is designed to provide a reliable source of electricity specifically for military installations, bolstering national security and energy resilience.
Emil Michael, the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, noted that this move is intended to unleash the American nuclear industrial base to ensure uninterrupted operations for warfighters. The installation is intended to provide power that functions independently of the commercial electrical grid, protecting critical defense operations from potential disruptions.
A nationwide network from Wyoming's Natrium to Idaho's Project Pele
The Indiana initiative is not an isolated event but part of a massive surge in reactor development across the United States. According to the report, this movement includes the TerraPower Natrium project in Wyoming, the Kairos Hermes in Tennessee, and X-energy's Xe-100 projects located in Washington state and Texas .
Other significant developments include the Palisades SMR project in Michigan, the KRONOS Micro Modular Reactor in Illinois, and various projects at the Idaho National Laboratory, such as Oklo Aurora and Project Pele. The military is also scaling this technology through the Army's Janus program, which aims to deploy microreactors at several key locations, including Fort Hood, Fort Drum, Fort Campbell, Fort Benning, and Fort Bragg.
Accelerating construction through May 2025 executive orders
The current momentum is heavily supported by federal policy shifts aimed at overcoming the stagnation that followed accidents like Three Mile Island and Fukushima . In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders designed to streamline the licensing process and strengthen domestic nuclear fuel production. These orders are intended to expand U.S. nucear generating capacity and address the rising electricity demand fueled by climate change concerns and grid reliability issues.
Unlike intermittent renewable sources like wind or solar, these advanced reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs) offer the ability to generate carbon-free electricity continuously. This capability is central to the current push by policymakers and utilities to find stable, around-the-clock energy solutions to meet growing demand.
Will local opposition to AI data centers stall nuclear growth?
Despite the political and military momentum, significant questions remain regarding the social license required for such large-scale projects. While supporters believe new safety features make SMRs a viable alternative to traditional plants, critics continue to raise alarms about radioactive waste, high costs, and poential accidents. Many nuclear projects have historically experienced significant delays and cost overruns.
One major unknown is how the public will react to nuclear infrastructure in their own communities. A June 2026 survey by Echelon Insights revealed that 62 percent of voters opposed the construction of AI data centers in their communities. It remains unverified whether this same level of local resistance will be applied to nuclear reactor projects , or if the promise of energy security will outweigh concerns regarding waste and safety.
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