Wedoany.com Report-Aug. 17, California-based Radiant has signed a groundbreaking agreement with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Department of the Air Force to deliver the first-ever mass-manufactured nuclear microreactor to a US military base. This deal involves the development of the 1 MWe Kaleidos, a high-temperature gas-cooled portable microreactor designed to provide resilient, cyber-secure power to military installations.
A rendering of Radiant's transportable micoreactor being deployed at a military base
The Kaleidos microreactor will use a graphite core and TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) fuel, offering a compact and efficient power source. Radiant was selected earlier this year as one of eight technology developers eligible for funding under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program. This initiative, launched in 2024 by the DIU in collaboration with the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force, aims to design, license, build, and operate microreactor nuclear power plants on military bases.
Radiant’s CEO and Founder, Doug Bernauer, expressed pride in the achievement: “We’re proud to be the first agreement designed to deliver mass-manufactured nuclear microreactors for a US military base. In 36 months, Kaleidos reactors will arrive via truck and within 48 hours plug in, power on, and provide resilient, cyber-secure power to our nation's Air Force for years without refueling.”
Radiant plans to test its first reactor in 2026, with initial deployments expected to begin in 2028. This initiative marks a significant step towards increasing energy security and resilience for US military operations, offering a reliable power source that can be quickly deployed without the need for frequent refueling.
In July, Radiant was also selected as one of the two companies to conduct the first tests in the National Reactor Innovation Center’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments test bed at the Idaho National Laboratory, further advancing the development of this cutting-edge technology.
