Trump tells Pentagon to plan grand military parade in Washington

US President Donald Trump has asked the Pentagon to plan a large-scale military parade later this year to showcase the might of America’s armed forces amid mounting tensions with North Korea.

"President Trump is incredibly supportive of America's great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

"He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation."

Trump has long wanted to hold such a parade and he finally discussed it with senior military leaders, including Vice President Mike Pence, White House chief of staff John Kelly, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford in a meeting last month.

The January 18 meeting marked a tipping point, two officials, who were briefed on the planning, told The Washington Post.

“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France,” said a military official on the condition of anonymity. “This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, left, and President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, right, stand in front of American and French flags held by soldiers at the end of the annual Bastille Day military parade last July. (Photo by AFP)

This came after Trump had witnessed a French military parade when he was French President Emmanuel Macron's guest on Bastille Day last year.

The US president, who called the parade "one of the greatest parades" he had ever seen, told Macron last September that when he went back to the US he wanted a military parade on the Fourth of July in Washington.

Holding such a military parade, however, might prove difficult as, according to the Post, shipping tanks and military hardware into Washington could cost the country dearly with military officials being unsure how to pay for it.

Dozens of intercontinental-range Hwasong-15 missiles, which the North Koreans test-fired for the first time in late November, will be on display during the parade, the sources said.

A North Korean Taepodong-class missile is displayed during a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, on July 27, 2013. (Photo by AFP)

Tensions are running high between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

The Trump administration claims it prefers a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but it also says that all options are on the table, including military ones.