Assessment of Naval Reactor Infrastructure for Domestic Cobalt-60 Production

Activated materials generated through nuclear reactions have historically been viewed primarily as a waste management challenge for the nuclear industry. However, a subset of radioisotopes produced through neutron activation possesses substantial commercial, industrial, and national security value. Among these, cobalt-60 remains one of the most widely utilized isotopes, with applications spanning medical sterilization, food irradiation, and radiation-hardness qualification of military and commercial microelectronics. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent reorientation of federal nuclear priorities in the 1990s, U.S. isotope production capabilities were largely divested, and the global supply chain transitioned toward foreign government reactors, primarily in Canada and Russia. For several decades, this arrangement remained viable due to the long half-life of Co-60 (5.27 years), which allowed previously manufactured sources to remain in service for periods approaching 25–30 years. Today, however, many of these legacy gamma irradiation facilities are reaching end-of-life, and the international reactor fleet responsible for isotope production is aging, capacity-constrained, and geopolitically fragile. This has created renewed urgency to reestablish domestic isotope production capabilities to support both commercial demand and military readiness. While new civilian isotope production reactors represent a long-term solution, they require substantial capital investment and extended licensing timelines. An alternative near- and medium-term pathway is the utilization of existing government nuclear infrastructure, including retired and surplus naval reactor platforms, for neutron activation of cobalt and other strategic isotopes. Naval reactors were designed for sustained high-power operation, exceptional reliability, and stringent military quality assurance standards, making them well-suited for high-specific-activity isotope production. Recent federal initiatives focused on expanding domestic nuclear energy capacity and repurposing retired naval reactor assets for civilian power applications further highlight the opportunity to evaluate these platforms for dual-use isotope production missions. This paper examines the technical feasibility, operational considerations, and strategic value of employing naval reactor infrastructure for domestic radioisotope production to enhance U.S. supply chain resilience and national security.