Battle tanks, 7,000 troops & WW2 planes … spotters guide to Trump's £30m birthday bash with 18-mile ring of steel
DON STOP ME NOW Battle tanks, 7,000 troops & WW2 planes … spotters guide to Trump's £30m birthday bash with 18-mile ring of steel
THOUSANDS of US troops flanked by battle tanks and advanced stealth jets will march on the streets as President Donald Trump kicks off a grand military parade - on his birthday.
Patriotic tunes will fill the air in Washington DC as the commander in chief turns 79 - with the grand military spectacle set to commemorate the US Army's 250th anniversary.
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Soldiers dressed in Revolutionary war-era uniforms charge during the US Army's Twilight Tattoo event
Credit: AFP
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Soldiers from the Marine Corps, lined up at the Veterans Day Parade in NYC
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A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to be used in the US Army's 250th Birthday Celebration is seen near the US Capitol
Credit: Reuters
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US soldiers stand beside IAV Stryker armoured vehicles that are staged ahead of a 14 June military parade in Washington, DC
Credit: EPA
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The main stage for the US Army's 250th birthday celebration parade
Credit: AFP
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Trump turns 79 today
Credit: AP
The grandiose military parade will showcase soldiers, sailors, airmen and US Marines marching in their uniforms in front of thousands of spectators.
As many as 7,000 troops and seven band contingents have reportedly been called to participate in the show.
They will be accompanied by at least 150 military vehicles and some 50 aircraft.
Some 2,000 civilians could also take march alongside the US military.
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And the whole celebration will be enclosed with an 18 mile ring of steel to protect the parade.
Drones and a small army of cops will be on hand to keep order - with there expected to be protests across the country as part of "No Kings" day, a series of anti-Trump rallies by people objecting to the parade.
It comes after a week of unrest in many cities - with anti-immigration raid riots in LA and protests against ICE across the US.
June 14 this year marks the 250th anniversary of the US Army, also known as Army Day.
The day also coincides with Trump's 79th birthday.
To celebrate both things in style, Trump planned to throw a military parade to showcase America's might.
French President Emmanuel Macron joins 3,700 members of the military in Paris to mark Bastille Day, with guest Donald Trump
For years, the president is said to have had his eyes on a full-blown military show, but has failed to put up a working plan - until now.
Plans are to roll down battle tanks, massive military equipment, and aircraft and missiles, just as Trump first envisioned the parade during his first term.
The president, who is expected to give a speech during the parade, has pitched the occasion as a way to celebrate US power and service members' sacrifice.
The parade will also showcase antics from different eras of the Army's history, right from the Revolutionary War in 1775 to the modern developments of the US Army.
Contingent members are expected to wear corresponding uniforms and carry equipment respectively.
Among the military equipment set to be flaunted are 26 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 27 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, two World War II Sherman tanks, a World War I-era Renault tank, eight CH-47 helicopters, 16 UH-60 Black Hawks and four WWII-era P-51 aircraft.
While US officials have yet to release the cost of the planned parade, the figure is expected to reach up to a whopping $45million.
This includes the cost of transporting all the military equipment across Washington and putting up safety measures for the public expected to gather at the parade.
Army spokesman Col. Dave Butler said that the Army is excited about the plans for its anniversary.
He added: 'We want to make it into an event that the entire nation can celebrate with us.
'We want Americans to know their Army and their soldiers.
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A US soldier works atop an Abrams tank that is staged in West Potomac Park ahead of a 14 June military parade
Credit: EPA
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Tanks rest on the back of a rail car before being used for the parade
Credit: AFP
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US Army soldiers on top of an M1 Abrams tank during a media preview of the Army's Parade
Credit: AFP
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A US Park Police officer poses for a photograph next to a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to be used in the US Army's 250th Birthday Celebration
Credit: Reuters
"A parade might become part of that, and we think that will be an excellent addition to what we already have planned.'
Trump appeared to tease the grand plan last month in a post on Truth Social, where he wrote: "We are going to start celebrating our victories again!'
He also vowed to rename May 8, now known as Victory in Europe Day, as 'Victory Day for World War II,' and to change November 11, Veterans Day, to 'Victory Day for World War I".
Meanwhile, immigration rioters protesting against the Trump administration in LA could show up in Washington, experts fear.
AMERICA'S 250th MAGA CELEBRATION
By Sayan Bose, Foreign news reporter
Trump is also planning a so-called Great American State Fair to celebrate the country's 250th birthday in 2026.
Trump floated plans to showcase America's greatness in its true sense - packed in a year-long grand festival to mark the country's anniversary, dubbed the semiquincentennial, in a grand style that can be seen in the video above.
Trump, who led his 2024 election campaign on the promise to make America great again, will take this opportunity to portray the country's might in the most patriotic way.
It was just a year ago when he called all Americans to prepare for the Great American State Fair - a gigantic carnival of joy that would mark America's 250th birthday in true Trump fashion.
Various contingents could take part in a grand parade in front of millions of people visiting the fair - and Trump could build a "National Garden of American Heroes' with statues of important figures in American history.
This may include giant structures of George Washington, Neil Armstrong, and Muhammad Ali.
Use our interactive map here to find out about what attractions could be at the mega MAGA event.
But Trump warned protestors would be "met with very big force" if they attempted to sow chaos during the parade.
He told reporters from the White House: "For those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force."
Law enforcement agencies are preparing for hundreds of thousands of people to attend Saturday's parade, US Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool revealed.
McCool said thousands of agents, officers and specialists will be deployed from law enforcement agencies across the country.
Iran's foreign ministry has described further discussions as "meaningless", after Israeli attacks on the country.
In comments carried by state television, spokesman Esmail Baghaei said: "The US did a job that made the talks become meaningless."
However, he stopped short of ruling out the talks.
The Mizan news agency, run by Iran's judiciary, quoted him as saying it is still "not clear what we decide about Sunday talks".
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