solotk, these "fighting forts" you refer to were once known as "Redoubts", and were successfully used by the British in both Africa and India, and latterly in New Zealand (where they also learnt the art of trench warfare from it's Maori inventors).
In all cases, the Imperial British Forces were a regular Army fighting an irregular geurilla army which refused to confront them on the terms with which they were familiar. The established tactics of European battlefields did not work, so they were forced to develop new ones.
The concept of garrisoning a supply road at regular intervals while the forward force advanced towards its objective was costly in terms of its requirements in materiel and manpower, but it proved effective against an enemy which employed the tactics of hit, run, and hide.
Perhaps your wisdom from the past could be of use to the planners of today; it does appear to be the situation they are facing.
Just a thought...