Historic C-17 Airlift Moves Micro Nuclear Reactor for Base Power

Three USAF C-17s are airlifting eight Ward250 micro nuclear reactor modules from March Air Reserve Base to Hill AFB, and then to Utah’s USREL for testing, in a first-of-its-kind operation (Operation Windlord). The mission, part of the DOE’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program and Valar Atomics’ push for resilient, grid-independent power for bases and remote sites, leverages TRISO fuel with helium cooling and graphite moderation and signals potential future commercial and military applications, including powering data centers and austere deployments.