The DoD is making another bet on Radiant.
Yesterday, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the US Air Force, and Radiant announced that the microreactor company had agreed to deliver a working microreactor to a US military base by 2028. It’s the latest in a series of DoD agreements intended to make microreactors part of the US toolbox for operational resilience in remote deployments.
“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 CEO Doug Bernauer said in a release.
The agreement was signed through the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program, which in April picked a batch of companies eligible to receive contract awards for dual-use nuclear technology at US military installations. Radiant was selected alongside Oklo, X-energy, Antares, BWXT, and a handful of other advanced nuclear firms.
Backing up: Radiant has been on a hot streak of USG-related partnerships and announcements. Last month, the company announced that the DOE had selected it as one of the first two companies to access the DOME test bed. That gives Radiant a leg up on competitors hoping to get approval for fueled nuclear tests.
This all comes on the heels of a $165M Series C led by DCVC that closed in May. As part of that announcement, Radiant said it plans to build a factory that can manufacture up to 50 microreactors per year.
Lead Reporter of Ignition
