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The Pentagon has ordered every major U.S. military base in the continental United States to be ready to operate independently for at least 90 days if war or disaster cuts off power, water, fuel, or communications. The new requirement is part of a sweeping plan called Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability (FORTRESS), unveiled by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a September 30 memorandum.
Under FORTRESS, bases must maintain their own electricity, water, fuel, and communications, even if civilian infrastructure fails. Options being considered include small nuclear reactors, large batteries, and microgrids—local power systems designed to work even if the public grid goes down.
The plan is built on five pillars: energy independence, supply chain and industrial base resilience, strategic reserves, installation hardening with cybersecurity, and resilience in space and spectrum. The goal is to make sure U.S. forces can keep operating if traditional supply chains are cut off during a major conflict.
Every base will have to secure enough supplies—ammunition, fuel, spare parts, medical equipment, and minerals—to last at least three months without outside help. The Pentagon expects each installation’s plans to differ, depending on its location and needs. Some projects, such as installing nuclear microreactors, are already underway at select Army bases, but it could take years to bring all bases up to the new standard.
The shift in planning comes as the Department of Defense highlights threats from adversaries targeting U.S. infrastructure and supply chains. In 2024, U.S. agencies warned that Chinese state-linked hackers had compromised key networks, raising concerns about the vulnerability of both military and civilian systems.
The Pentagon has not released a final cost or completion date for FORTRESS. A dedicated office was ordered to be set up within 30 days of the memo to oversee the project, which will report to the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment.