The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for major US military bases to keep running for at least 90 days with no outside help in case of emergency.
The Pentagon has drawn up a plan for what happens if a major war cuts off the power, supply lines and communications that US bases depend on every day. It’s called FORTRESS, and Fox News Digital was first to report it on Sunday, October 25, based on internal Pentagon documents.
The idea is that the military shouldn’t have to rely on civilian systems to defend the country. Under the plan, every major base in the continental United States would be expected to keep going on its own for at least 90 days, with electricity, water, fuel and communications, according to Fox News.
What FORTRESS actually covers
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the initiative in a September memo, according to Newsweek.
It’s built on five pillars: energy independence, supply chain resilience, a strategic defense reserve, hardened bases with cyber protection, and resilience in space and communications. A dedicated office is due to be set up by October 30.
The plan envisions portable nuclear reactors, large battery storage and microgrids that can disconnect a base from the civilian electrical grid. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell, who led the initiative, underlined how crucial it is that the military doesn’t depend on local infrastructure. “It’s an intolerable risk,” he said. “Power is combat now.”
The idea itself isn’t new. The Pentagon began designing a mobile nuclear reactor, Project Pele, in 2020, and a May 2025 executive order called for advanced reactors at military installations.
Stockpiles and factories are also included in the plan
FORTRESS also calls for keeping strategic reserves of munitions, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts and medical supplies. For the most critical items, there should be at least two qualified ways to get or make them, so losing one supplier doesn’t stop operations.
Civilian factories are part of it too. Through the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, the Pentagon plans to identify commercial plants that could shift to defense production in a crisis, and to set the specifications, cybersecurity rules, contracts and conversion steps in advance. There would also be regular stress tests and mobilization exercises.
What will happen if GPS goes down
The plan includes protecting military communications, navigation and satellites from interference, with preparations to keep operating if GPS is jammed or space systems are disrupted.
Parnell said homeland defense had long relied on “the antiquated assumption that two oceans would protect us.” He said the next conflict will likely be fought on several fronts and that global supply chains will break. “We have to have a plan,” he said.
The 90 days is a reported requirement, not proof that bases already meet it. The Pentagon hasn’t publicly announced a budget or completion date.
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