US President Donald Trump says his proposed triumphal arch in Washington DC will also serve as a military complex capable of housing drones, snipers and ammunition.
Mr Trump said the 250ft (76m) structure, planned near the Arlington Memorial Bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, would be converted into what he described as a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch”.
He said the change had been made at the “strong request” of the US military and for national security purposes.
According to the president, the structure would have the capacity to store and rapidly deploy large numbers of drones, while sniper positions would be located on its roof and plaza areas. It would also include storage for sniper ammunition. (The Washington Post)
The Pentagon, however, has said it has no information beyond Mr Trump’s public statement.
The announcement comes as the proposed arch faces legal challenges from a group of veterans and an architectural historian, who argue that the project requires congressional approval.
The US Commission of Fine Arts has given the project preliminary approval, but the legal dispute remains unresolved. The National Capital Planning Commission is also expected to consider the project later this year. (AP News)
Critics have raised questions about the proposed structure’s location, its impact on Washington’s historic landscape and the national security justification being given for the project.
Mr Trump has similarly described a planned White House ballroom as having a military or national security purpose.
If completed, the arch would become one of the most prominent new structures in the US capital. Its proposed military role would add a significant new dimension to a project that was initially presented primarily as a monumental structure.
For now, however, the precise military arrangements, including which agency would operate the facility and how the proposed drone and sniper capabilities would be managed, have not been publicly detailed.
