Russia Plans Mini Portable Nuclear Reactors For Military Operations

Russia will create a pilot mobile mini-reactor to power military operations in the Arctic region.

Russian defense ministry announced plans to develop a line of small-scale mobile nuclear reactors that can be deployed from trucks and sleds in the Arctic, Bellona news daily reported Thursday.

The defense minister had ordered to create a pilot project for the nuclear power station. The project is being carried out and is in the process of Scientific research,” a Russian defense ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying by Tass Wednesday.

“The preliminary data for the project has to be submitted to the military authorities by the end of the year. The R and D is expected to end in two and half years. After that, the development work for the prototyping will begin. The project has to be presented by 2020,” Tass quoted Yuri Konyushko Managing director of Innovative Projects Engineering Company as saying.

Konyushko said, “The company has to be prepared for mass production of such stations although there is no such facility that can produce is currently available. We will be designing the final layout. There is an initial demand for 30 stations which will be delivered either on aircraft or helicopters to the Arctic.”

According to him, it is a question of self-contained systems designed for long-term work without the involvement of numerous personnel for service. The data from these stations will be transmitted to the control panel via satellite.