At the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference this week, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced the formation of The Janus Program, which is designed to integrate micro-nuclear reactors into Army formations.
The program puts into action a Presidential executive order to advance nuclear power for purposes of national security by 2028. The Army is acting as the executor of the Janus Program to meet this requirement.
"This is about warfighting power," said Secretary Driscoll. "Project Janus ensures our warfighters can train, deploy, and fight with the certainty that power will never be the limiting factor in victory."
Conceptually, the Janus Program aims to use micro-reactors to keep units and military installations powered, without making them reliant on a conventional power grid, which may be vulnerable to natural disasters or enemy attack. These micro-reactors will keep communications systems and weapons platforms operational, according to the Army press release.
The Janus Program is also working in conjunction with the Department of Energy and the Defense Innovation Unit to attempt to bring micro-reactor technology to the military quickly and safely.
"The Janus Program is a strategic leap forward in American energy dominance," explained Emil Michael, Acting Director of the Defense Innovation Unit.