U.S. Media: U.S. Introduces "Fortress" Plan to Strengthen Independent Operation Capabilities of Military Bases

Reference News Network reported on October 30 According to a report by the U.S. magazine Fortune on October 26, the U.S. Department of Defense hopes that once a war leads to power and supply chain disruptions, each major military base in the United States will be able to operate independently for 90 days without external assistance. Across the Atlantic, the UK is advising households to stockpile canned food, bottled water, and cash to prepare for a basic service interruption lasting three days.

It is reported that these two efforts have not been coordinated, and neither government has indicated that a new war is imminent. However, both sides are developing contingency plans for potential operational interruptions that could deprive homes and military facilities of essential services.

Fox News Digital reported on October 25, citing internal planning documents, that the U.S. Department of Defense is formulating a requirement that every major military facility on U.S. soil must be able to maintain basic operations independently for at least 90 days.

According to reports, this requirement is part of the "FORTRESS" program, which stands for "Federal Resilience, Force Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability Operations."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the "FORTRESS" program during his "Military Readiness" speech on September 30. He pledged that each major military facility would achieve self-sufficient power generation, independent of the civilian power grid. A subsequent memorandum proposed the establishment of a dedicated project office. The 90-day standard goes further than the initial goal, expanding self-sufficiency from electricity to water, fuel, and communications.

Reports indicate that the plan envisions the use of mobile nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage systems, and microgrids to enable bases to operate independently from the civilian power grid. The U.S. Army has already taken steps in this direction. In August, the Army announced contracts worth up to $2.2 billion to build micro nuclear reactors at five bases, including Fort Bragg and Fort Hood.

According to Fox, Sean Parnell, the chief spokesperson for the Department of Defense leading the "FORTRESS" program, stated: "Electricity is now combat power. Without electricity, we lose communication, water supply, logistics, and assembly lines, and even the basic military command structure cannot be maintained."

The plan also calls for the establishment of strategic reserves of ammunition, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts, and medical supplies. For core military supply chains, the plan requires at least two qualified supply or production channels, so that even if one factory or supplier is lost, operations will not be disrupted.

The U.S. Department of Defense has not yet disclosed cost estimates or implementation timelines. According to Air Force Magazine, a senior official from the Department of Defense told reporters on the 20th that officials are still assessing the needs of approximately 500 bases on U.S. soil, and fully achieving this goal may take decades. The magazine estimates that total investment could reach hundreds of billions, or even trillions, of dollars.

Reports indicate that the UK government launched a "Get Prepared" campaign on the 22nd. Days later, details of the aforementioned plan from the U.S. Department of Defense were revealed.

The UK government's list suggests that each person should stockpile 3 liters of drinking water per day. The list also includes non-perishable foods that do not require cooking or refrigeration, as well as flashlights, power banks, first aid supplies, battery-powered or hand-crank radios, and food and water for pets. The government also advises households to keep cash on hand in case card payments and ATMs are unavailable.

The UK government states that "Get Prepared" is the first phase of a three-year campaign covering severe weather and other emergencies. The UK has been continuously issuing household emergency preparedness guidelines since May 2024, so this campaign is not a sudden signal of impending war.

The statements from the UK defense leadership are more straightforward. UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps warned in an article in the Daily Telegraph last weekend that by 2030, adversaries may possess the military and wartime economic capabilities necessary to launch attacks. He wrote that this means the UK and its NATO allies have just over 1,000 days left to prepare. (Translated by Liu Yuehua)