By Nathan Layne and Anusha Shah
Sept 20 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Sunday the triumphal arch he plans to build near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would double as a "military complex" housing drones and snipers, as well as storing large quantities of ammunition.
The president cited national security concerns for the move, echoing the rationale offered for the roughly $400 million ballroom complex being built on the site of the White House's former East Wing. He did not
identify any specific threats.
The projects are part of Trump's ambitious effort to reshape Washington, including a push to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The plans have drawn criticism from preservationists and others who argue they could alter or diminish historic landmarks.
In a social media post, Trump said that at the "strong request" of the military he had agreed to turn the 250-foot (76-meter) arch "into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage."
A US military official told Reuters that the Defense Department had nothing to add beyond Trump's social media post. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump did not elaborate on why such capabilities would be needed at the arch. His proposed White House ballroom has already been touted as a drone facility to protect Washington.
EXPERT QUESTIONS MILITARY RATIONALE
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel, said the move appeared aimed at countering opposition to the arch, which is planned for a traffic circle near Arlington National Cemetery, about a mile from Fort Myer, an active Army installation, and roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Pentagon.
"It looks like it's tacked on in order to strengthen the rationale for construction," Cancian, a senior adviser with the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, told Reuters. "There is this military facility (Fort Myer) long established with a variety of military capabilities one mile away. So why you need this one isn't clear."
Cancian also said that storing ammunition at the arch would create logistical challenges and questioned the value of positioning snipers there.
LEGAL CHALLENGES MOUNT
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan earlier this month ordered the Trump administration to give 48 hours' notice before engaging in any activity on the site of the triumphal arch. Her ruling came a day after the US Interior Department announced plans to move forward soon with work on the arch despite legal challenges and the lack of final approval from a government planning authority.
The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft but would be required to have an "eternal flame" on top, clearing an aviation hurdle for the arch, which Trump proposed to mark the nation's 250th anniversary.
Aviation experts have raised safety concerns given its proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport while veterans have sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
(Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru, Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut, and Humeyra Pamuk and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Sergio Non, Toby Chopra and Matthew Lewis)
