Pentagon Investigates Apparent Cyber Sabotage Affecting Freezers at 14 Military Bases

WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (OPA) — The Pentagon is investigating suspected sabotage of food supply freezers at 14 U.S. military bases following a series of overnight disruptions in August. Freezers at commissaries—on-base grocery stores run by the Department of Defense—were knocked out at six bases during a single night, according to sources tracking the failures. Researchers logging the incidents identified outages at up to 14 installations, where internal temperatures rose and caused food stock to spoil.

The Defense Commissary Agency relocated inventory to alternative temperature-controlled locations to mitigate losses, allowing stores like Naval Station Newport and Fort Irwin to remain operational by selling dry goods. The Pentagon confirmed that a unit of U.S. Cyber Command is collaborating with interagency and law enforcement partners. Additionally, the Army CID's Cyber Field Office has joined the investigation and is coordinating with French authorities regarding parallel European outages.

Investigators are treating the storage failures as a targeted cyber operation, though no suspects have been identified. The incidents mirror a broader wave of disruptions affecting hundreds of grocery stores across Europe, from Finland to France. In France alone, officials reported that roughly 700 supermarkets lost refrigeration earlier this month, with equipment overheating and causing localized fires.

Swedish retail chain ICA noted that affected stores relied on an external refrigeration control system supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, which was also targeted in France. Security vulnerabilities emerged when impacted facilities operated on older 4G mobile connections rather than upgraded 5G systems. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure addressed Parliament regarding the security breach, stating that while food supplies remain secure, the attacks targeted the core of national food infrastructure.