US Flies Nuclear Reactor on Plane: India Needs Mobile Microreactors Now

• The US military successfully transported a Ward 250 microreactor by C-17 Globemaster, demonstrating mobile nuclear power.
• The Ward 250, roughly the size of a large van, can generate 5 megawatts of electricity and uses advanced TRISO fuel and helium cooling for enhanced safety.
• Mobile microreactors offer strategic advantages for military operations in remote areas, eliminating reliance on vulnerable power grids and fuel supply chains.
• India, with its challenging terrain and unreliable electricity in remote villages, could greatly benefit from similar airlift-deployable microreactors.
• While India's BARC is developing SMRs, the country needs to foster private sector innovation and a startup ecosystem to accelerate microreactor development for strategic and civilian use.