July 4th Fireworks: Trump To Have Tanks, 'Best Fighter Jets' At Celebration

Persistence pays, and president Donald Trump, come the Fourth of July, will finally get the military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. he’s been hoping for since he became president.

But it won’t be anything like the spectacular display of French military power that impressed him greatly on July 14, 2017 in Paris during Bastille Day. Trump’s parade will be a lot more modest.

There’ll be “beautiful” tanks in this display of U.S. military might but they won’t rumble down Pennsylvania Avenue. Instead, the tanks and other armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) will be placed on static display (they’ll just stand there) to avoid tearing-up D.C.’s roads and blocking traffic.

A ranking official of the Department of Defense (DoD) said the current plan is to have a very small number of AFVs participate in the static display at the National Mall. Two M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs), two M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and a lone armored M88 Recovery Vehicle will be on static display.

A DoD memo said the parade will "include wheeled vehicles only, no tanks.” It also said that "consideration must be given to minimize damage to local infrastructure."

On the other hand, a sizeable number of U.S. military aircraft will fly over the capital during the 4th of July celebrations, including some of the “best fighter jets,” which is how Trump described them.

Onlookers will get to gawk at a mighty Northrop Grumman B-2 strategic stealth bomber, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in the sky above D.C. A Boeing VC-25, one of two planes designated Air Force One, will also participate in the fly-by.

The world renowned Blue Angels aerial demonstration team of the U.S. Air Force, which flies versions of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 strike fighter, will show-off their precision flying skills.

Trump reluctantly confirmed the M1 Abrams MBTs he wanted to rumble down Pennsylvania Avenue won’t be moving at all.

"You've got to be pretty careful with the tanks because the roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks so we have to put them in certain areas but we have the brand new Sherman tanks and we have the brand new Abrams tanks," said Trump.

Military analysts noted the U.S. Army stopped using Shermans in 1957. The Sherman was the backbone of the U.S. tank force in World War 2. It’s only found in military museums in the USA today.

"We have some incredible equipment, military equipment on display -- brand new. And we're very proud of it," Trump went on to say.