The United States Department of Defense has designed a program called FORTRESS to prepare for potential crisis scenarios. This program aims to create the necessary capabilities for military bases across the United States to operate for at least 90 days without reliance on the public power grid.
Details of the FORTRESS Initiative
This initiative includes the use of portable nuclear reactors, the installation of large batteries, and the creation of independent microgrids that allow bases to detach from public power systems during prolonged outages. Department of Defense officials are concerned that a lack of access to electricity could severely impact communications, logistics, weapons production, and military command structures.
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According to Department of Defense spokesperson Sean Parnell, "We do not want to be dependent on urban infrastructure to protect our national defense. This is an unacceptable risk." As part of this program, the Department of Defense is also addressing the storage of munitions, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts, and medical supplies, and preparing civilian factories for rapid conversion to war production.
Industrial Testing and Protection of Military Infrastructure
The Department of Defense has also planned to conduct regular industrial drills and stress tests and to implement measures to protect military communications and navigation systems from satellite disruptions and GPS jamming. Parnell noted, "We need to have a plan, and we do not want to make these decisions in the middle of a multi-front global conflict."
Current threats to the U.S. power grid come not only from foreign adversaries but also from domestic saboteurs. In February 2024, the National Security Agency and other federal agencies warned that Chinese state-sponsored hackers linked to the Volt Typhoon group have targeted critical U.S. infrastructure networks, including energy, water, transportation, and communication systems. Additionally, in December 2022, an attack on two power stations in North Carolina plunged about 45,000 customers into darkness, with some remaining without power for five days.
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