Pentagon prepares US military bases to operate for 90 days without outside support amid war fears

The Pentagon is preparing US military bases to operate for 90 days without outside help in case of a major war. The FORTRESS plan aims to protect military operations from power cuts, supply shortages and disruptions to key infrastructure. Here is eveyything we know.The Pentagon wants US military bases to run on their own for at least 90 days. (Bloomberg)What is the Pentagon’s FORTRESS plan?The Pentagon is getting US military bases ready to keep working for at least 90 days without outside support, as per Fox News. The plan is meant to prepare for a major war that could damage power grids, disrupt supply chains and affect key infrastructure across the US.As per documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, the plan is part of a wider military initiative called FORTRESS. Its aim is to make sure American forces can keep fighting even if the civilian systems they depend on stop working.“We don’t want to rely on standard civilian municipal infrastructure to run our national defense. We just simply can’t. It’s an intolerable risk,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital.According to Fox News, every major military base in the continental United States would be expected to run key operations on its own for at least 90 days. This includes electricity, water, fuel and communications.Parnell also spoke about how the thinking on homeland defense has changed. “I realized that a lot of the way we think about homeland defense was built around the antiquated assumption that two oceans would protect us,” he said. “President Trump understands that world is gone, and he’s already paved the way for new thinking: Golden Dome, a renewed focus on the Western Hemisphere, Greenland, Panama.”Also read: Mike Rogers dodges Kristen Welker's 'MAGA Republican' question even as Trump rallies for him in Port HuronPower, supplies and a backup planAs per Fox News, a big worry is that the military depends on civilian power grids. These grids support everything from communications and logistics to making weapons.“Power is combat now. Without electricity, you lose communications, water, logistics, assembly lines and just basic military command structures,” Parnell said.FORTRESS looks at portable nuclear reactors, large battery storage and microgrids. These could cut bases off from the civilian grid so they can keep working during long power cuts. “Mission-critical power must be independent, hardened, and redundant,” Parnell said.Pentagon had already announced plans to make major military bases less dependent on civilian power grids. The new 90-day rule goes further by covering other essential services needed to keep the bases running.The plan also warns that a major war could disrupt global supply chains that provide weapons, equipment and key materials to the military. “The next conflict will likely be fought on multiple fronts. Look at the geopolitics behind any major war. When that happens, global supply chains will break,” Parnell said.FORTRESS calls for the military to store reserves of ammunition, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts and medical supplies. These reserves could help keep military operations running if international supply routes are cut off or US factories cannot produce enough supplies during a war. The amount stored would depend on how quickly supplies are used and how long it takes to replace them, the report said.The plan also calls for at least two approved suppliers or production options for the military’s most important needs. This would reduce the risk of shortages if a factory or supplier could no longer provide essential materials.Also read: Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola injured in car crash; postpones campaign events before midtermsTurning factories to defense workAs per Fox News, another big part of the plan is getting America’s civilian factories ready for wartime. Through the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, which is now part of FORTRESS, the Pentagon plans to find commercial factories that could shift to defense production in a crisis.Pentagon plans to check what manufacturers can do. It also plans to set technical specifications, cybersecurity protections, contract terms and conversion steps in advance, instead of waiting for a war to begin. FORTRESS calls for regular stress tests and drills to see if factories could keep producing during long disruptions.The plan also aims to protect military communications, navigation and satellite systems from interference. This includes preparing for situations in which GPS signals are jammed or space-based systems are disrupted.These steps are meant to help the military keep operating during a long conflict, even if civilian infrastructure fails or supply chains are disrupted.“You don’t want to be making these decisions in the middle of a global multi-front conflict. We have to have a plan,” Parnell said. As per Fox News, he described FORTRESS as an insurance policy for the US.