Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract to advance its KRONOS MMR™ Energy System for the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

The contract, which began July 21, 2026, was awarded through the DAF's Open Topic SBIR program, a program that has been in operation since 2018. The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX jointly administer the program, which is designed to accelerate the transition of small business technology to military use.

James Walker, chief executive officer of Nano Nuclear Energy, said: "This award represents another meaningful step in the continued advancement of NANO Nuclear's defense commercialization strategy. We now have multiple active engagements with the Department of the Air Force that demonstrate increasing confidence in our technology and technical capabilities."

The KRONOS MMR™ is described by the company as a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor currently in construction permit pre-application engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

According to the press release, this SBIR Phase I award is one of multiple active programs Nano Nuclear has with the Department of the Air Force. The company also develops two other reactor products: ZEUS, a portable solid core battery reactor, and LOKI MMR™, a space-focused portable microreactor.

In fiscal year 2025, AFWERX awarded more than 1,000 contracts totaling $1.37 billion across its SBIR and STTR programs.