Dani Oh – MSN Oct 25, 2026
The Pentagon is preparing US military bases to meet a reported 90-day self-sufficiency requirement as it strengthens power supplies and supply chains against prolonged disruption.
Under FORTRESS America, announced by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on 30 September 2026, every major military installation in the United States is intended to generate power independently of the civilian grid. Internal Pentagon documents reviewed by Fox News Digital describe a requirement for major installations in the continental United States to sustain essential operations independently for at least 90 days.
Fox News Digital framed the plan against the possibility of a major war disrupting power grids and supply chains. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell told the outlet that the next conflict would likely be fought on multiple fronts and warned that global supply chains could break during a major war. The public FORTRESS announcement, however, presents a broader resilience strategy rather than identifying global war as its sole trigger.
The reported 90-day requirement extends beyond electricity to water, fuel and communications. At a 20 October 2026 Defense Writers Group roundtable, a senior defence official said the Pentagon was assessing energy requirements and costs across about 500 installations in the continental United States. No programme-wide completion date has been announced.
FORTRESS America Expands Military Resilience
Hegseth unveiled FORTRESS during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico on 30 September. The acronym stands for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply and Survivability. Its five pillars cover energy independence, resilience across supply chains and the defence industrial base, strategic reserves, installation hardening and cyber resilience, and resilience in space and spectrum.