Military parade ordered by Trump, costing $92 million, postponed until 2019

A military parade ordered by US President Donald Trump which was planned for November this year has now been postponed until at least 2019, a defense official said on Friday.

"The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I," said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning, as quoted by AFP.

"We originally targeted November 10, 2018, for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019," he added.

A USofficial, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear exactly what caused the postponement but the increased cost of the event had caused concern and could be one reason.

The parade, slated for November 10 was estimated to cost US $92 million, reports said. The US $92 million cost estimate includes security, transportation of parade assets, aircraft, as well as temporary duty for troops.

Reports added that the event would focus on the contributions of the US military throughout history, starting from the American Revolutionary War.

The military parade is estimated to be more by US $80 million. The figure consists of US $50 million from the Pentagon and US $42 million from interagency partners such as the Department of Homeland Security.

Earlier this year, the White House budget chief said the parade would cost UStaxpayers between US $10 million and US $30 million.

Military parades in the United States are generally rare. Such parades in other countries are usually staged to celebrate victories in battle or showcase military might.

In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of President Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War.