Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans for a new, self-sustaining US military base, to be built at a location chosen through a competition among states. He presented it as part of a wider effort to modernise the military and improve living conditions for service members, rather than placing troops on ageing installations.

The proposed base would cover hundreds of thousands of acres and accommodate up to 25,000 service members, with independent power, air defences, training areas, housing, healthcare and childcare. States will be assessed on land, community support and services, and their ability to reduce regulatory delays; the Pentagon says deliberations will be recorded and made public. The announcement is the fourth of six strategic initiatives outlined by Hegseth.