The US Army, together with the US Department of War Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), has announced an award of up to US$2.2 billion ($3.06 billion) for nuclear microreactors. The reactors will be constructed and operated on military installations as part of the Janus Program.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll says that the Janus Program is focused on securing the power the US Army needs.
“Awarding these contracts accelerates our ability to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations,” Driscoll says.
“We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids.”
The Janus Program was launched in October 2025, building on Project Pele, with a focus on establishing microreactors on army installations.
The program seeks to build US energy resilience and national defence infrastructure, leveraging nuclear energy innovation to deliver reliable baseload power and reduce dependence on external grids. It follows President Trump’s Executive Order 14299, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security.
The May 2025 Executive Order outlines energy supply for key defence facilities as a critical national security imperative, stating that advanced nuclear reactors have the potential to deliver the resilient, secure, and reliable power needed.
The order also states that the US Government needs to accelerate the secure and responsible development, demonstration, deployment, and export of US-designed advanced nuclear technologies needed to grow US technological superiority and defence readiness.
The US is already the world’s largest producer of nuclear power, accounting for 30% of global generation. The country has set ambitious targets to quadruple its capacity to 400 gigawatt-electric (GWe) by 2050, with advanced reactors to be deployed in the near term.
The rise of nuclear power in the US also brings the need for additional supply of uranium to fuel that power. In 2024, the US Department of Energy received US$2.7 billion in funding from Congress to bolster domestic uranium production to fuel its nuclear supply chain.
While the US produces a lot of nuclear power, it remains a minor producer of uranium. In 2024, seven uranium operations produced 677,000 pounds of triuranium octoxide (U3O8). This represents around 0.5% of global output for the year and 1.4% of the uranium required for commercial reactors in the US.
Juniors positioned to help close uranium supply gap
As the US expands nuclear capacity under programs like Janus, the need for secure uranium supply becomes more pressing. This creates opportunities for juniors advancing projects in the US and Canada to help increase Western feedstock and close the supply gap.
American Uranium (ASX:AMU) is advancing key milestones at the Lo Herma In Situ Recovery (ISR) Uranium Project in Wyoming, US.
The project has a resource base of 9.45 million pounds @ 720 parts per million U3O8 and a defined development footprint, with American Uranium using its US base to add scale, confidence, and supply chain relevance ahead of a Q4 2026 Scoping Study.
Terra Clean Energy (CSE:TCEC) is also focused on establishing itself as a US-based uranium developer, advancing the Marysvale Uranium Project in Utah, the Powder Mountain Project in Wyoming, and the South Falcon East deposit in Saskatchewan, Canada.
The company has moved into active work programs this month across both Marysvale and South Falcon East, with strong news flow expected imminently. This positions Terra Clean Energy as part of the broader push to grow secure North American supply.
As the US accelerates nuclear deployment, the race to secure domestic uranium supply is intensifying, giving juniors an opportunity to be at the forefront of a new era in the North American energy story.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash, American Uranium
