MARTIN COUNTY, Ind. (WLKI)- The Department of War has announced plans to install Indiana's first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor at Naval Weapons Station Crane by September 2028.
The department said the commercially owned and operated reactor would provide continuous power to the military installation independent of the commercial electric grid. Naval Weapons Station Crane is a major defense technology and weapons facility in southern Indiana.
The project is being carried out through the Army's Janus Program in partnership with the Department of the Navy, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, the Department of War Innovation Unit, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies and the State of Indiana.
Officials say the reactor is intended to support critical operations during grid disruptions and other demanding conditions. The department also said the project is expected to create skilled jobs, support the domestic nuclear supply chain and expand industrial capacity related to national defense.
According to the announcement, the Crane reactor would be the Navy's first shore-based advanced microreactor and the first power-producing nuclear reactor installed in Indiana.
The project follows executive orders issued by President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to advance nuclear reactor technologies for national security and expand the domestic nuclear industrial base.
The Department of War said it has coordinated with Indiana officials for more than a year. U.S. Sens. Jim Banks and Todd Young, Gov. Mike Braun and U.S. Reps. Erin Houchin and Mark Messmer were identified as supporters of the initiative.
Before installation can move forward, the project will continue through required safety, environmental, regulatory and site-specific review processes. The department said nuclear safety, physical security, cybersecurity and taxpayer stewardship will remain central considerations throughout those steps.
The September 2028 target is part of a broader federal effort to deploy advanced nuclear power at military installations, according to the department.
According to the Department of War announcement.