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Army Names Nine Candidate Bases for Microreactor Program as DIU Opens Industry Call

Proposals are due Dec. 15 through DIU’s OTA pathway, launching FOAK-to-SOAK prototyping toward potential on-base power by 2030.

Overview

  • The selected installations, identified after site and resiliency assessments, include Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Drum, Fort Hood, Fort Wainwright, Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Redstone Arsenal.
  • DIU’s Area of Interest seeks commercial microreactor solutions using fuel enriched to 20% or less U‑235 and delivering from kilowatt levels up to about 20 megawatts-electric (up to 60 MW-thermal).
  • Awards are expected to proceed under milestone-based Other Transaction agreements with vendors building first- and second-of-a-kind prototype plants geared for eventual scaling.
  • The Army describes the systems as safe-by-design, self-contained projects that will comply with federal, state and local regulations with operational controls located inside the installation.
  • Officials say final siting depends on technical feasibility, regulatory reviews and local acceptance, and they will not place reactors at communities that oppose them.