U.S.
Buckley SFB and Malmstrom AFB are possible sites for nuclear microreactors
Stars and Stripes
April 8, 2026
The Buckley Space Force Base sign is photographed July 7, 2021. (Danielle McBride/U.S. Space Force)
An Air Force base and Space Force base were chosen as potential sites for nuclear microreactors under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program.
Buckley Space Force Base, Colo., and Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., were selected due to their utility infrastructure, land availability and critical mission requirements, according to a service news release.
“This decision is a key step in ensuring the service can execute critical missions without interruption, thereby strengthening national security,” the release said. Both bases will soon be matched with an ANPI nuclear vendor technology that fits each installation’s energy needs.
The Pentagon’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program aims to build microreactors at two military installations by 2030. The microreactors are described as advanced nuclear systems capable of generating electricity for several years without replenishing the nuclear fuel and which do not need connection to commercial power supplies to operate.
“By advancing the use of next-generation nuclear energy, the DAF (Department of the Air Force) is strengthening the energy security of our power projection platforms and contributing to long-term national energy leadership,” said Nancy Balkus, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment, in the release.
In July 2025, Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska was selected as the top choice for the U.S. military’s first installation with a nuclear microreactor. The project at Eielson is separate from the ANPI program.