Tanks, helicopters and troops will parade through Washington next month, the Army has said, in a display of US military might to celebrate the service's 250th anniversary — and overseen by President Donald Trump as he marks his own birthday.
Twenty-eight M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Strykers and four Paladins will take part in the parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren told journalists on Wednesday.
Additionally, "there's going to be an extensive flyover. More than 50 helicopters will participate, including AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Blackhawks and CH-47 Chinooks," he said.
Colonel Chris Vitale said the "concept of the parade is to tell the story of the Army through history."
"It'll start with the Revolutionary War, and it'll trace through the major conflicts... and then end with the present day," he said.
The fact that the parade falls on the same day as Trump's birthday is a source of controversy, and protests are being planned when the event — part of a celebration that is estimated to cost up to $45 million — is held on June 14.
Trump had floated the idea of holding a military parade in Washington during his first term after attending a Bastille Day parade in France.
It never materialised, however, after the Pentagon said it could cost $92 million and concerns were raised about damage to the city's streets.
The latest plans for tanks and other heavy vehicles to drive through the US capital have renewed worries over damage to the city's roads.
"Military tanks on our streets would not be good," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser told journalists last month. "If military tanks were used they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads."
June 14 parade to feature US troops, military academy students, and reenactors with historic gear from the Revolutionary War to America's 'Global War on Terror'.
Fireworks, parachute team
The Army said that metal plates will be used to protect the streets, and that it will be responsible if damage occurs.
"We are targeting those areas that we have concerns (about), which primarily are areas where the tracked vehicles are going to have to turn sharply," Colonel Jesse Curry said.
"In those straightaways where the tanks are just moving forward naturally, we don't expect to have to put any types of protection there, and we're not expecting any damage to the roads," he said.
The Army's birthday celebration will also include a day-long festival on Washington's National Mall and a fireworks display.
Following the parade, the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump in and present Trump with a US flag, according to Warren.
He put the total cost of the celebrations at between $25 and $45 million.
The last major US military parade in Washington was held in 1991 to celebrate the end of the Gulf War.
