NWS Crane selected for Navy’s first nuclear microreactor

The Department of War has selected the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in Indiana, as the site for the U.S. Navy’s first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor (MMR). The project, which aims for an operational target date no later than September 2028, will establish the first power-generating nuclear reactor in Indiana.

The commercially owned and operated unit is designed to provide a shore-based clean power infrastructure that operates independently of the civilian electric grid. This initiative is part of the Army’s Janus Program and is a joint effort involving the Navy, the Army, and the State of Indiana.

Officials stated the deployment aims to modernize military energy infrastructure, bolster the domestic nuclear industrial base, and ensure resilient power that is protected from physical and cyber threats. The project seeks to create a repeatable procurement framework for joint-force energy independence by merging the Army’s authority over installation nuclear energy with the Navy’s operational requirements.