The Air Force announced earlier this month that Malmstrom Air Force Base was one of two bases selected for a nuclear microreactor.

This week, the Air Force announced, in conjunction with the Defense Innovation Unit, that it has paired Westinghouse Government Services with Malmstrom to potentially develop and operate a microreactor on the base as part of the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations initiative.

The Air Force announced Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado as the other location and has since selected Joint Base San Antonio in Texas as the third potential location for a nuclear microreactor under the ANPI initiative.

The bases were selected as “part of its approach to energy resilience, focused on aligning mission requirements and site-specific characteristics,” according to an AF release.

Malmstrom AFB one of two bases selected for potential nuclear microreactors

Malmstrom and Buckley were selected as preferred locations to site an ANPI reactor “due to their utility infrastructure, land availability and critical mission requirements,” according to the Air Force.

Buckley is paired with Radiant Industries, Inc. and JBSA is paired with Antares Nuclear, Inc.

“The future of air and space dominance is powered by resilient energy,” Michael Borders, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment, said in a release. “By integrating advanced nuclear technology, we are not just keeping the lights on; we are guaranteeing that our most critical national security missions will never be held at risk by a power outage. This is a pivotal moment for the Department of the Air Force.”

The ANPI initiative plans to have at least one advanced nuclear reactor operating on at least one of the bases by 2030.

Next steps include siting and environmental analyses as part of the National Environmental Policy Act process.

Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactor  has been proposed for Malmstrom through a federal procurement process.

The company has an ongoing contract with the Air Force and DIU for the initiative and will evaluate siting and construction of an eVinci microreactor at Malmstrom, according to the company.

The eVinci microreactor is portable with few moving parts and provides five megawatts of electricity, delivered 24 hours a day, seven days a week for eight-plus years without refueling. The technology is designed to be factory-built and assembled before it is shipped, according to Westinghouse.

Omaha Trophy returns to Malmstrom Air Force Base

Any advanced nuclear reactor deployed under ANPI will only serve the base’s critical facilities and will not provide power to a commercial grid, according to the Air Force, but will work with base utility providers on all required permits and agreements.

The selected companies, like all commercial nuclear energy facilities in the U.S., must follow strict federal nuclear safety and environmental regulations as part of the National Environmental Policy Act review process.

That includes development and testing of detailed safety and emergency response plans – from reactor design to decommissioning, according to the Air Force.

The Air Force is coordinating with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy on the project and any ANPI reactor will receive either an operating license from the NRC or an authorization from the DOE before beginning any operation, according to the Air Force. No authorization to operate a nuclear microreactor on a U.S. base without a full lifespan fuel plan approved by the NRC or DOE.

Final basing decisions depend upon the successful completion of environmental and licensing processes.

The Air Force, MITRE and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a comprehensive analysis of all compatible installations and detailed site visits to determine each base’s suitability to host a microreactor, including assessing land availability and infrastructure, before setting the three locations, according to the Air Force.

The DIU released an area of interest for ANPI, soliciting advanced nuclear power solutions for U.S. military bases in 2024. Eight vendors were found to be eligible for participation in the program. As of December 2025, initial milestone-based contracts were awarded to seven vendors.

This ANPI program is separate from the microreactor pilot program at Eielson AFB in Alaska, which is a stand-alone project to demonstrate the feasibility and operational benefits of a microreactor at a single installation, according to the Air Force.