The US military is rolling into Washington DC this week for a rare public display of strength on Saturday to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary.
President Donald Trump, who has long dreamt of holding such an event, will watch on as more than 6,000 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft take part in a military parade.
Trump, who coincidentally turns 79 on the same day, says the event will honour the US military’s role in major historical victories and celebrate American power.
But the one-day event, which the Army has said could cost up to $45 million (£33m), has been criticised by some as a vanity project and a poor use of taxpayers’ money.
So we’ve taken a look at what we can expect to see in Washington DC on Saturday and why it is costing so much money.
When did this last happen in the US?
While military parades are common in some countries – think Bastille Day in France or Victory Day in Russia – it’s fairly rare for them to be held in the US.
The last one on a similar scale was when 8,000 troops took to the streets of DC to celebrate the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.
One of the highlights for spectators this year will be tanks and other armoured vehicles rolling along the streets of the capital. They arrived in the city last weekend after making most of the 1,500-mile journey from Texas by train.
The vehicles – which include M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers – were transferred from the train on to trucks at the CSX rail yard in Jessup, Maryland, before being driven into Washington DC.
