The cost of putting on a military parade ordered by President Donald Trump has marched upwards, with the possible price tag now soaring to over $90 million, a US official said Thursday.

When the White House in February announced the commander-in-chief's desire to hold a parade in Washington, the budget director said it would cost between $10 million and $30 million.

But a US official told AFP the planning estimate had now gone as high as $92 million, though no final figure has been reached.

The parade is planned for November, over the Veterans Day weekend, and is expected to include a large show of air power.

US media were quick to highlight how the ballooning costs of Trump's parade stand in contrast to his concern about the expense of conducting joint military exercises with South Korea.

"We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump said in June after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

It later emerged that the drills cost about $14 million, a fraction of the price of a military parade.

The United States normally holds military parades to mark the end of a conflict, such as in 1991 when President George HW Bush held a National Victory Parade in Washington to celebrate the end of the Gulf War.

Trump's request is popular among many Americans but has drawn scorn from critics, who said it would be a waste of money and was akin to events organized by authoritarian regimes.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Britain's RAF intercepts six Russian bombers over Black Sea
Bucharest (AFP) Aug 15, 2018
Britain's Royal Air Force said Wednesday it had intercepted six Russian bomber planes flying close to NATO air space over the Black Sea. The Eurofighter Typhoons launched early Monday from their base in Romania after the Russian Su-24 Fencer planes were spotted, the RAF said in a statement. It said there had been "significant Russian air activity through most of the night". The Russian aircraft eventually turned towards Crimea, the RAF said. The operation "was in accordance with the NATO ... read more