National Security and Military Infrastructure

On Feb. 15, 2026 a C‑17 airlifted an unfueled privately built 5‑megawatt microreactor about 700 miles from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of Defense Michael Duffey on board and calling the move historic. The flight follows Trump executive orders in 2025–26 that give Wright authority to approve certain advanced reactor designs — partially shifting licensing power away from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — as the administration pitches microreactors for off‑grid military sites and data centers while critics question safety, feasibility and cost; Wright has said at least three microreactors will reach criticality by July 4.