The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has revealed that his ambitious Arc de Triomphe project for Washington D.C. will incorporate an operational base with military drones, snipers, and ammunition depots.
"It will be a top-level military facility that will house, store, and have the capacity to rapidly deploy a large number of drones, as well as snipers in the rooftop area and the plaza," Trump explained on social media.
The American leader emphasized that "there will be no facility like this anywhere in the world" and insisted that, out of the 59 largest cities and capitals on the planet, Washington "is the only one that does not have an arc de triomphe." "Now it will have one and it will be by far the most grand of all!" he added.
Trump pointed out that the adaptation of the design to incorporate a military facility responds to a direct request from the Armed Forces, which would have invoked national security reasons to justify the change.
According to Trump himself, the idea of erecting this arc de triomphe dates back to the time of the American Civil War and the construction will be located next to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, in a site of high historical symbolism.
The plan contemplates an arc of 76 meters in height crowned by large golden statues of an angel and several eagles, conceived to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.
Aviation specialists have expressed their concern about the possible risks to air safety, due to the proximity of the future monument to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. They also warn that the structure could hinder visibility between the Lincoln Memorial, one of the icons of the capital, and the Arlington National Cemetery, the main military cemetery in the country.