Mobile Nuclear Power Plants for Ground Operations

Abstract

This study was commissioned by the Army Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS), G-4 to analyze the potential benefits and challenges of mobile nuclear power plants (MNPPs) with very small modular reactor (vSMR) technology and to address the broader operational and strategic implications of energy delivery and management. The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics released the Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force final report on Energy Systems for Forward/Remote Operating Bases1 in 2016. The DSB observed that energy is, and will remain, a critical enabling component of military operations, with demand continuing to increase over time.1 This study supports the DSBs recommendations and considers the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal/regulatory (PESTEL) factors associated with a future, near-term decision involving the deployment and employment of MNPPs. Employment of mobile nuclear power is consistent with the new geopolitical landscape and priorities outlined in the US National Security Strategy (NSS) and the 2018 National Defense Strategy focusing on China and Russia as the principal priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The Army recognizes the fundamental change in the character of warfare with a confluence of evolving threats and an increasing technology sophistication of our adversaries spanning the competition continuum, as opposed to the obsolete peace/war binary2. This study finds that as a technical matter, nuclear power can reduce supply vulnerabilities and operating costs while providing a sustainable option for reducing petroleum demand and focusing fuel forward to support Combatant Commander (CCDR) priorities and maneuver in multi-domain operations (MDO). Energy is a cross-cutting enabler of military power and nuclear fuel provides the densest form of energy able to generate the electrical power necessary at forward and remote locations without the need for continuous fuel resupply.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 26, 2018
Accession Number
AD1064604

Entities

People

  • Charles J. Jr Toomey
  • Joseph G. Lamothe
  • Juan A. Vitali
  • Kerry A. Mccabe
  • Virgil O. Peoples

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Electric Power
  • Emergency Response
  • Employment
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Interagency Coordination
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • Load Monitoring
  • Logistics
  • Management Personnel
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Military Applications
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Power Plants
  • Nuclear Reactors
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Engineering.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Strategic Security Studies