Why is the US Pentagon preparing for a 'doomsday' scenario? Inside America's plan to keep military bases running for 90 days without outside help

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced FORTRESS America on September 30, 2026, during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The initiative aims to protect US military installations against cyberattacks, sabotage power-grid failures and disruptions to foreign supply chains.

On October 6, Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey issued a memorandum initiating the creation of a dedicated FORTRESS America Program Office. Richard "Matt" O'Malley was designated interim director of the programme office. On October 25, Fox News reported that Pentagon documents describe a 90-day self-sufficiency target for major military installations.

What does the 90-day target involve?

Major military bases are expected to maintain essential operations independently for at least 90 days. The reported requirements cover electricity, water, fuel and communications. The objective is to prevent military operations from being interrupted if civilian infrastructure becomes unavailable.


Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said military installations should not depend on standard civilian municipal infrastructure to operate national defence.

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What are the five pillars of FORTRESS?

-Energy independence: Military installations generate their own electricity instead of relying entirely on civilian power grids.

-Supply-chain and defence industrial base resilience: Bringing critical manufacturing and supply chains closer to the US and reducing dependence on vulnerable suppliers.

-Space and spectrum resilience:Protecting satellite communications, navigation and military communications against interference.

-Strategic defence reserve

-Installation hardening and cyber resilience

The technologies that could be used include portable nuclear microreactors, independent microgrids that can disconnect from civilian electricity networks, large-scale battery storage, solar and geothermal energy, natural gas-based power generation, and backup systems for essential water and communications infrastructure.

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What is the Pentagon saying about the threat?

Sean Parnell said future conflicts could involve multiple fronts and disrupt global supply chains. He warned that electricity is essential for military communications, water, logistics, assembly lines and command structures.

He said the US cannot afford to make preparations only after a major conflict begins. Parnell described FORTRESS as an insurance policy for the American homeland.