{
  "id": 3615133,
  "title": "US military spending US$2.2bil to build small nuclear reactors",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-military-spending-us-2-2bil-to-build-small-nuclear-reactors",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T23:08:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/27/us-military-spending-us-2-2bil-to-build-small-nuclear-reactors"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In May 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to expedite the creation of advanced nuclear power. The US Army has now allocated $2.2 billion to construct and manage small nuclear reactors at five military installations across the nation. The objective is to commence operation by September 2028, as outlined in Trump's executive order.\n\nJeff Waksman, a high-ranking army official, expressed concerns over the potential vulnerabilities of the domestic power grid during conflicts. He noted that the military currently depends on liquid fossil fuels, primarily diesel, as a backup power source. The government aims to install small modular reactors (SMRs) at these five initial sites, as the energy department also supports the development of SMRs.\n\nFive entities, including startups Antares Nuclear and Radiant Industries, as well as established nuclear industry giants Westinghouse and General Atomics, have been chosen for the task. Since June, five companies have achieved the criticality stage, signifying their reactors' capability to generate power independently. However, no SMR is in operation yet, and only one manufacturer, NuScale, has received approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).\n\nWaksman explained that the military has its own certification process tailored to its requirements. This unique process enabled the US Navy to launch the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, as early as 1954. The military is collaborating with the energy department and the NRC to harmonize their regulatory procedures, facilitating a seamless transition from army approval to potential NRC approval. This alignment will enable SMR manufacturers to market their reactors to industries and local governments.",
  "summary": "The army aims to operate small nuclear reactors at five military bases, with the first planned to be operational by September 2028.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "US military spending $2.2 bn to build small nuclear reactors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-military-spending-2-2-bn-to-build-small-nuclear-reactors",
        "published": "2026-08-26T21:40:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "US military spending US$2.2bil to build small nuclear reactors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/us-military-spending-us-2-2bil-to-build-small-nuclear-reactors-3619065",
        "published": "2026-08-26T23:08:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}