HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah
In a first-of-its-kind operation, the Pentagon and the Energy Department have airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what officials describe as the nation’s capacity to rapidly deploy nuclear technology for both military and civilian applications.
The nearly 700-mile flight last weekend transported a 5-megawatt microreactor—conspicuously absent its nuclear fuel—aboard a C-17 military aircraft.
The operation underscores the Trump administration’s push to expand nuclear energy’s role in meeting surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence, data centers, and military installations.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of Defense Michael Duffey accompanied the privately built reactor on its Feb. 15 journey.
Both hailed the mission as a breakthrough for accelerating commercial licensing of microreactors, part of a broader administration effort to reshape America’s energy landscape.
By James Kisoo
