Politics

How many troops, tanks, and planes will appear in Trump’s military parade: Is it bigger than the ones in Russia or North Korea?

Donald Trump’s military parade is set to show off the best of the United States’ firepower.

Alexander Drago

Born in Leeds, Joe finished his Spanish degree in 2018 before becoming an English teacher to football (soccer) players and managers, as well as collaborating with various football media outlets in English and Spanish. He joined AS in 2022 and covers both the men’s and women’s game across Europe and beyond.

Update: Jun 14th, 2025 04:52 EDT

Donald Trump’s vanity project gets underway on Saturday to mark the 250th anniversary of the armed forces. Oh, and it’s also his birthday. Coincidences happen, I guess.

Anyway, a military parade is normally something associated with—ahem—dictatorships such as Russia and North Korea, where grainy footage routinely captures huge missiles being dragged through city streets on the backs of wide-load trucks, with the delighted populations of either nation applauding raucously at their well-spent tax money.

This time, it’s the turn of the United States—a country that hasn’t seen a military parade of this scale since 8,000 troops celebrated the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.

Not everyone is celebrating. At the same time, anti-Trump activists have organised a series of protests on Saturday as part of the “No Kings” movement, with representatives of the groups saying the president wants “tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday.”

What is the parade route?

For Trump’s birthday party, which begins at around 18:00 local time, the parade will start on Constitution Avenue—specifically at the corner of Constitution Avenue NW and 23rd Street—before ending on 15th Street alongside the National Mall. President Trump will watch from a stage set up in the Ellipse park.

The route has been shortened due to safety concerns, as the roads have weight limits that will be exceeded by the huge tanks brought in from Texas. An Abrams tank weighs about 70 tons while it has been reported that Washington D.C.’s roads can take a maximum weight of 40 tons.

What military vehicles are set to be shown in the parade?

It is estimated that more than 6,000 troops will take part, with around 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft also set to be shown off along the streets of Washington, D.C. Included in that number are P-51 Mustang fighters, a B-25 Mitchell bomber from World War Two, and a number of Black Hawk helicopters.

There will be M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers also present.

In addition, there are 34 horses, two mules, and one dog taking part.

The sky show will end with members of the Army’s Golden Knights team parachuting over the White House.

How much will the military parade cost?

A document seen by USA TODAY revealed that the June 14 parade, along with a series of related events in Washington, D.C., could cost the American taxpayer as much as $45 million.

Is the parade bigger than Russia’s and North Korea’s?

Russia celebrated Victory Day just last month with a military parade. On that occasion, Putin’s troopers showed off their drones, Iskander ballistic missiles, rocket launchers, and flamethrower systems—all used in Ukraine. On top of that, nuclear-capable ICBMs were paraded through Red Square.