WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is developing a plan to make major U.S. military installations more resilient to power failures, cyberattacks and supply-chain disruptions, as the Trump administration prepares for the possibility that a major conflict could interrupt the systems military bases depend on.
The initiative, called FORTRESS America, was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sept. 30. A Pentagon memorandum dated Oct. 6 began setting up a program office to coordinate its implementation, DefenseScoop reported after obtaining the memo.
A separate report published Sunday by Fox News Digital said the plan calls for bases to operate for at least 90 days without outside support during a major war. The report described proposals that include independent power, strategic reserves and backup supply chains.
FORTRESS stands for “Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply and Survivability,” according to Hegseth’s address, as reported by DefenseScoop. The initiative’s stated goals include generating power independently of civilian grids, protecting installations from cyber intrusions and drones, strengthening satellite and communications systems, and securing supply lines and defense stockpiles.
The Oct. 6 memorandum directs officials from several Defense Department offices to designate representatives to work with the new program office. Its five areas of focus include energy independence, installation and cyber resilience, space and communications resilience, supply-chain security, and strategic defense reserves.
The Pentagon’s planning comes amid concern that adversaries could target infrastructure through cyberattacks, sabotage or attacks on satellites and other systems. The administration has described the effort as a way to keep military operations functioning if those systems are disrupted.
The available announcement and memorandum describe contingency planning. They do not say that a world war is imminent or that the United States has decided to enter one. The 90-day target was reported by Fox News Digital; the Pentagon memorandum reviewed by DefenseScoop confirms that the program office is being organized and outlines its resilience goals.
