U.S. Department of War Airlifts Next-Generation Ward 250 Nuclear Reactor as Trump Administration Secures Central Europe Nuclear Partnerships
The 5-megawatt nuclear reactor is designed to fit inside a C-17 aircraft and theoretically power approximately 5,000 homes.
WASHINGTON — On February 16, the U.S. Department of War announced the airlift of a next-generation nuclear reactor aboard a C-17 Globemaster III from March Air Reserve Base, California, to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for eventual testing at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab.
This operation advances President Trump’s May 23, 2025, executive orders on nuclear energy. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio finalized civil nuclear agreements in Slovakia and Hungary during visits on February 15-16, strengthening U.S. national security through enhanced energy cooperation in Central Europe.
Key Developments The Department of War transported the Ward 250, a 5-megawatt nuclear reactor designed to fit inside a C-17 aircraft and theoretically power approximately 5,000 homes.
Officials described this portable system as a step toward greater military base energy security by reducing dependence on vulnerable civilian power grids and enabling independent operations overseas.
The move directly supports President Trump’s directives to modernize America’s nuclear capabilities for both military and civilian use.
In Central Europe, Secretary Rubio signed the U.S.-Hungary Civil Nuclear Intergovernmental Agreement in Budapest. The agreement establishes decades of cooperation on nuclear energy and positions Hungary as a hub for regional small modular reactor development.
In Slovakia, U.S. funding will support the Front-End Engineering and Design study for a new Westinghouse large reactor under the Department of State’s FIRST Program.
These steps aim to bolster regional energy security, industrial growth, and technology competitiveness—including powering artificial intelligence applications—while generating over $15 billion in opportunities for U.S. vendors and thousands of American jobs.
