Is a 90-day blackout coming? What the U.S. military’s new readiness initiative actually means

JACKSON, Tenn. (WBBJ/Gray News) — Viral doomsday posts on social media are gaining traction, claiming the nation will soon face a 90-day blackout.

The rumor that the U.S. released a doomsday plan for a 90-day blackout began circulating after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a long-term strategic plan on Sept. 30.

Experts said, however, that people have been misinterpreting the FORTRESS America initiative in the strategic plan, which is essentially a plan to be prepared for modern-day attacks.

The initiative is not an announcement of an active blackout, power cut or impending attack. Rather, it is a prepared plan to ensure the U.S. military will have the ability to “fight and win under any circumstances,” including a cyberattack.

“We know that more nations are engaging in cyber attacks,” Sean Evans, chair and professor of political science at Union University, said. “We’re concerned about sabotage, so the whole idea is that if something happens that our military will be prepared. They’ll have a 90-day supply of energy. They’ll have back up ammunition.”

The FORTRESS America initiative is organized around five pillars: energy independence, supply-chain and defense-industrial base resilience, a strategic defense reserve, installation hardening and cyber resilience, and resilience in space and spectrum.

Under this initiative, every military department and defense agency will have the ability to operate independently for at least 90 days. This includes access to water, electricity, fuel and communications.