Tanks to be part of Independence Day parade

Tanks have begun arriving in Washington DC after Donald Trump said the military hardware would be part of his Independence Day celebrations.

At least two M1A1 Abrams tanks and two Bradley Fighting Vehicles were spotted on rail transporters at the south-eastern edge of the capital.

At his “Salute to America” on Thursday, Mr Trump will address the nation from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC amid a parade of military tanks.

But city officials have expressed dismay at the possible damage to roads at the 4 July event.

A Defense Department official told CBS Tuesday that the tanks being featured will be on “static display” near the Lincoln Memorial, almost certainly placed on flatbeds, instead of tearing up city streets with their treads.

The US president had wanted a military parade of tanks and other equipment in the District of Columbia after he witnessed a similar parade on Bastille Day in Paris in 2017. That plan was eventually scuttled, partly because of cost, but Trump apparently held on to the idea.

The FAA also announced that flight operations will also be suspended at neighboring Reagan National Airport because of a military  flyover and fireworks display to accommodate the president’s plans.

Via CBS