Preparing for a Major War, US Plans Military Bases with Micro Nuclear Reactors
JAKARTA — The United States Department of Defence, or Pentagon, is preparing its main military bases on the US mainland to sustain critical operations for at least 90 days without outside support. The move is part of Washington’s new defence strategy for a possible major war that could cripple electricity networks, sever weapons supply chains and disrupt strategic infrastructure on US soil.
The plan was outlined in documents relating to the FORTRESS America initiative, reviewed by Fox News Digital and reported on Sunday (25 October 2026). Announced by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on 30 September, the programme is designed to keep American military capabilities operating even if the civilian infrastructure that supports military bases is damaged or cut off by an enemy attack.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the military’s reliance on public infrastructure had become a vulnerability that could no longer be ignored. He said advances in weapons technology and threats to the US mainland required a fundamental change in national defence planning.
Parnell said the United States could not continue to rely on ordinary electricity networks and civilian facilities to guarantee the continuity of military operations. He said that approach carried significant risks if the country faced a large-scale conflict targeting domestic infrastructure.
The initiative drew renewed attention after defence outlet The War Zone discussed the 90-day base self-sufficiency target on Monday (26 October 2026). Its report highlighted growing threats from cyber-attacks, sabotage and drones, which could disable military facilities before US forces were deployed to a battlefield.
The plan was announced as Washington faced prolonged tensions with Iran. The United States was reported to be moving some personnel from several bases in the Middle East, while the US government continued to assess the possibility of further military action if diplomatic efforts with Tehran failed to produce an agreement.
Pentagon changes its approach to defending US territory
FORTRESS stands for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability. The programme brings together military infrastructure resilience, energy independence, logistics reserves, cyber security, and the ability to maintain communications and operations during major disruptions.
In a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on 30 September, Hegseth said that for decades US defence strategy had relied too heavily on the assumption that the mainland was relatively safe from direct attack. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which separate the United States from many potential adversaries, were no longer considered sufficient to guarantee the security of national infrastructure.
Developments in long-range missiles, cyber technology, drones and attacks on energy networks have changed the nature of modern military threats. The Pentagon therefore sees the ability to sustain operations at home as just as important as the ability to deploy forces overseas.
According to documents reviewed by Fox News, every major military installation on the US mainland is expected to be able to carry out its critical functions independently for at least three months. The standard covers the supply of electricity, water and fuel, as well as the communications systems needed to sustain military activity.
The 90-day target is still a readiness standard under development, rather than a capability already available at every US base. The Pentagon has not publicly announced the programme’s overall cost, the timetable for meeting the target or how many installations currently satisfy the requirements.
Operational independence is important because disruption to one system can affect a base’s overall combat capability. A power cut, for example, could interrupt communications, disrupt fuel management, hamper aircraft maintenance and weaken command centres.
Micro nuclear reactors and weapons reserves
A key component of FORTRESS is the development of independent energy systems that do not rely entirely on the civilian electricity grid. The Pentagon is considering small nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage and microgrids that can operate separately from the main network.
Under this approach, military bases are expected to retain power if nearby power stations or distribution networks are disrupted. Independent energy systems are also intended to support communications facilities, radar, command centres, water supplies and other strategic equipment.
The US military had been developing micro nuclear reactor technology before FORTRESS was announced. The War Zone reported that in August 2026 the US Army and the Defense Innovation Unit reached agreements with five companies to support the construction of more than 20 microreactors at various bases, with initial implementation targeted for 2028.
This indicates that FORTRESS is not an entirely new programme being built from scratch. The Pentagon is seeking to accelerate and consolidate several energy-resilience projects that had previously been developed separately by different military services.
Beyond energy, the Pentagon plans to strengthen strategic reserves of ammunition, fuel, critical minerals, electronic components, spare parts and medical supplies. The size of the reserves will be based on operational needs and the time required for industry to replenish supplies if distribution routes are cut off.
FORTRESS requires at least two qualified supply or production routes for the most critical defence needs. The strategy is intended to prevent the failure of a single factory, supplier or distribution route from halting production of military equipment needed in wartime.
The Pentagon is also preparing a Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, which would enable civilian factories to switch to producing defence supplies in an emergency. The programme is intended to establish industrial capacity, technical requirements, cyber-security protections and contracting mechanisms before a crisis occurs.