The United States Departments of Energy and Defense on Sunday transported a small nuclear reactor by cargo aircraft from California to Utah for the first time, marking a demonstration of rapid nuclear power deployment for both military and civilian applications.
The agencies worked with California-based Valar Atomics to move one of its Ward microreactors aboard a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III to Hill Air Force Base.
The reactor was transported without nuclear fuel.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey accompanied the shipment on the flight and described the operation as a milestone for nuclear innovation and military logistics.
“This gets us closer to deploy nuclear power when and where it is needed to give our nation’s warfighters the tools to win in battle,” Duffey said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has identified small nuclear reactors as a key component of efforts to expand domestic energy output.
In May, Trump signed four executive orders intended to accelerate nuclear energy development to address rising power demand, strengthen national security and support advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The United States Department of Energy in December awarded two grants aimed at speeding up the development of small modular reactors.
Supporters of microreactor technology argue that such systems can supply power to remote or off-grid areas, reducing reliance on diesel generators that require regular fuel shipments. Critics, however, question their economic viability.
“There is no business case for microreactors, which, even if they work as designed, will produce electricity at a far higher cost than large nuclear reactors, not to mention renewables like wind or solar,” said Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Wright said the Energy Department aims to have three microreactors achieve “criticality”—the point at which a nuclear reaction becomes self-sustaining—by July 4.
The microreactor transported on Sunday, slightly larger than a minivan, is capable of producing up to five megawatts of electricity, sufficient to power about 5,000 homes, according to Valar Chief Executive Officer Isaiah Taylor. He said the unit will begin operating in July at 100 kilowatts, increase to 250 kilowatts later this year and eventually scale up to full capacity.
Valar plans to begin limited power sales in 2027 and reach full commercial operations by 2028.
Taylor noted that while private companies finance much of their own nuclear development, federal support remains necessary.
He said the government must take “doing some enabling actions to allow fuel fabrication here and uranium enrichment here.”
According to Wright, fuel for the reactor will be transported from the Nevada National Security Site to the San Rafael facility.
Despite their smaller size, microreactors still generate radioactive waste, Lyman cautioned. Other analysts have pointed out that reactor designers are not always required to fully address long-term waste disposal during initial development, aside from outlining management plans.
While the issue of permanent nuclear waste disposal remains unresolved, Wright said the Energy Department is in discussions with several states, including Utah, about potentially hosting facilities for fuel reprocessing or long-term storage.
