U.S. Bases Told to Prepare for 90 Days Off the Grid

WHO:

Reddit Conspiracy - A Reddit user, /u/bxtchtitz, asked whether other people were seeing posts about power outages and military bases preparing for blackouts, and whether the content was being directed at them.

Fortune - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced the FORTRESS initiative, and Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said, “Power is combat now.”

Fortune - The article says Fox News Digital reported that Parnell led the FORTRESS initiative.

Fortune - Britain’s Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned of potential threats; NCSC chief executive Richard Horne said about 75% of relevant cyber incidents were believed to be linked to state actors.

WHAT:

Fortune - The Pentagon is developing a requirement for every major military installation in the continental U.S. to sustain essential operations independently for at least 90 days.

Fortune - FORTRESS stands for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability. The plan extends beyond independent electricity to water, fuel, and communications.

Fortune - The plan envisions portable nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage, microgrids, and reserves of munitions, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts, and medical supplies.

Fortune - For critical dependencies, FORTRESS would require at least two qualified supply or production pathways.

Fortune - Through the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, commercial factories would be identified for potential conversion to defense production during a crisis.

Fortune - The Army announced up to $2.2 billion in awards to build nuclear microreactors at five bases, including Fort Bragg and Fort Hood.

Fortune - Britain’s Be Ready campaign recommends household supplies for three days, including three liters of drinking water per person per day, nonperishable food, flashlights, power banks, first-aid supplies, a battery-powered or wind-up radio, pet supplies, and cash.

Fortune - The European Commission’s preparedness strategy calls for guidance on keeping at least 72 hours of emergency supplies.

Fortune - President Trump’s National Preparedness Month message urged Americans to keep emergency kits, know evacuation routes, and prepare for “natural and man-made threats.”

WHERE:

Fortune - The proposed 90-day requirement concerns major U.S. military installations in the continental United States.

Fortune - Britain’s Be Ready campaign provides preparedness guidance for households in Britain.

WHEN:

Fortune - Streeting warned that adversaries could be prepared to attack by 2030.

Fortune - The Pentagon has not released a cost estimate or timeline; an official said officials were assessing the needs of roughly 500 continental U.S. bases, and full implementation could take decades.

WHY:

Fortune - The Pentagon’s plan addresses the possibility that war could cut off power and supply chains, leaving military installations without essential services.

Fortune - U.S. agencies warned that Chinese state-sponsored hackers called Volt Typhoon had compromised networks in communications, energy, transportation, and water sectors and might be positioning to disrupt essential services during a future conflict.

HOW:

Fortune - Microgrids would allow bases to disconnect from civilian power networks; the Pentagon also plans advance technical specifications, cybersecurity protections, contracts, and conversion procedures for factories in its manufacturing network.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 04:10 UTC)

The Pentagon’s FORTRESS initiative would require major military bases in the continental United States to operate independently for at least 90 days, with backup power, water, fuel, communications, and critical supplies. The plan includes microgrids, portable nuclear reactors, battery storage, and alternate supply chains, as well as preparing commercial factories to shift to defense production in a crisis; the Army has announced up to $2.2 billion in awards for nuclear microreactors at five bases. The effort responds to concerns that conflict or cyberattacks could disrupt essential services, while officials assess the needs of roughly 500 bases and say full implementation could take decades.