The microreactor was unfueled, and this is not the first time nuclear reactor parts have flown, so the unique quality of this event is that the reactor part transported is tiny, mostly assembled, and entirely uneconomical. Even for a person fully on board with the risks and pollution that come from nuclear power, microreactors create more problems than they solve. This highly publicized event is an excellent advertisement for microreactor startups.
A couple of the aforementioned articles here:
Ellen Mitchell, ‘US military conducts first nuclear microreactor air transport,’ The Hill, Feb 16, 2026.
Valerie Volcovici, ‘US conducts first air transport of nuclear microreactor in bid to show technology's viability,’ Reuters, Feb 15, 2026.