From nuclear reactors to a 90-day survival plan: How US is preparing for potential global war

The United States is preparing for a scenario in which a major military conflict could leave its armed forces battling not just enemy forces abroad but also the breakdown of critical infrastructure at home. As per reports, the Pentagon is working on a plan to keep military bases running for at least 90 days without relying on external support, anticipating disruptions to electricity, fuel supplies, communications and global supply chains. The initiative, known as FORTRESS, reflects Washington’s growing focus on ensuring that its military can continue operating even if essential civilian services are crippled during a prolonged conflict.

The preparations extend beyond power backup and emergency fuel stocks. The US Department of Defence is also looking to secure critical military materials, mobilise civilian manufacturing facilities for defence production and develop technologies that could undermine the military capabilities of potential adversaries. Alongside FORTRESS, initiatives such as ‘Project Meridian’ and the reported creation of a highly secretive technology agency indicate a broader effort to preserve America’s military superiority in future conflicts.

What is the Pentagon’s FORTRESS plan and how will it work?

At the heart of FORTRESS is the objective of making US military installations less dependent on civilian infrastructure. The Pentagon wants bases to maintain essential operations even if the electricity grid fails, municipal water services are interrupted or conventional supply routes become unreliable during a major war.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said that dependence on civilian municipal infrastructure for national defence represented an unacceptable risk. He highlighted the growing importance of electricity in modern warfare, where a prolonged power outage could affect communications, water distribution, logistics, manufacturing and military command systems.

The initiative, which Fox News described as a “doomsday plan”, envisages a combination of portable nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage and microgrids. These systems would enable military bases to disconnect from civilian electricity networks and continue operating during extended disruptions. The strategy reflects a shift towards treating energy security as an integral part of military readiness. Modern military operations depend on reliable electricity for communications, data processing, surveillance and logistical coordination. A failure in power infrastructure could therefore have consequences far beyond the loss of electricity itself.

Strategic reserves to protect military supplies during war

FORTRESS also seeks to address another major vulnerability: the possibility that a global conflict could disrupt the supply of essential military equipment and materials. The Pentagon plans to build strategic reserves of ammunition, fuel, critical minerals, electronic components, spare parts and medical supplies. Such stocks would help the armed forces sustain operations if international transport networks were disrupted or overseas suppliers became inaccessible.

The initiative also proposes reducing dependence on individual manufacturers and suppliers. Under the plan, critical defence requirements would have at least two qualified supply or production routes, reducing the risk that the failure of a single supplier could interrupt military operations. The Pentagon is also reportedly looking beyond stockpiling to the ability to manufacture essential equipment during an emergency.

Civilian factories could switch to defence production

Through the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, the US military plans to identify civilian factories that could be redirected towards producing defence equipment during a crisis. The concept would give the Pentagon access to additional manufacturing capacity if existing defence production facilities were unable to meet wartime requirements. Civilian industrial infrastructure could potentially help manufacture critical equipment and supplies when military demand rises beyond normal production levels. The proposal addresses a key challenge in a prolonged conflict: maintaining the flow of equipment and materials after initial military stockpiles begin to run down.

What these preparations mean for America’s military strategy

The initiatives point to a broader understanding of what a major conflict could entail. Military readiness would depend not only on the strength of frontline forces but also on the ability to sustain electricity, communications, logistics, industrial production and access to critical technologies.

FORTRESS focuses on keeping military bases operational and securing the supplies required for prolonged fighting. Meanwhile, Project Meridian is intended to identify the capabilities that could shape future warfare.

Taken together, these efforts suggest that the Pentagon is preparing for conflicts in which infrastructure failures, supply-chain disruptions and technological competition could be as consequential as battlefield engagements. The plans do not establish that a global war is imminent. Instead, they illustrate how the US defence establishment is seeking to reduce vulnerabilities and ensure that its armed forces can continue operating under extreme conditions, including a prolonged conflict that places pressure on both military installations and the wider economy.

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