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Pentagon readies 90-day independent bases with microreactors

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 23:36 UTC · How we work

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Summary

The U.S. Department of Defense is preparing major bases to operate independently for at least 90 days.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell called reliance on civilian municipal infrastructure an intolerable risk.
FORTRESS mandates each installation secure its own electricity, water, fuel and communications.
Portable nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage and microgrids will provide off-grid power.
The Army allocated up to $2.2 billion for nuclear microreactor projects at five bases.

History

The 1973 oil embargo forced the United States to confront energy vulnerability, prompting the Department of Defense to launch early energy-independence programs. The Department of Energy’s 1975 Energy Security Program allocated $1.5 billion toward portable nuclear reactor research for operating bases across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Today, the Pentagon’s FORTRESS directive echoes that Cold-War drive, requiring each installation to secure electricity, water, fuel, and communications for at least 90 days. If the Army’s $2.2 billion micro-reactor effort succeeds, off-grid resilience could become a permanent logistics pillar, reshaping future force-projection strategies for U.S. and allied operations.

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Historical Context

The 1973 oil embargo forced the United States to confront energy vulnerability, prompting the Department of Defense to launch early energy-independence programs. The Department of Energy’s 1975 Energy Security Program allocated $1.5 billion toward portable nuclear reactor research for operating bases across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Today, the Pentagon’s FORTRESS directive echoes that Cold-War drive, requiring each installation to secure electricity, water, fuel, and communications for at least 90 days. If the Army’s $2.2 billion micro-reactor effort succeeds, off-grid resilience could become a permanent logistics pillar, reshaping future force-projection strategies for U.S. and allied operations.

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