The B-2 bomber could cost $700,000. Two F-22 fighters, about $300,000. The Blue Angels demonstration team, close to $320,000. And two F-35 jets, upward of $660,000.
These estimates, based on a conservative analysis using Pentagon flight-cost estimates and other military data about the aircraft, highlight something the Trump administration has left murky as it planned its Independence Day celebration in Washington: How much it will cost.
The aerial review portion of President Donald Trump's expanded July 4th event could cost more than $2 million, as about two dozen aircraft soar by the National Mall in a show of military might.
But the air show is just one part of the expected multimillion-dollar effort to bring Trump's vision to life.
There's also the estimated $2.5 million the National Park Service is diverting to cover activities associated with the celebration. By comparison, according to former Park Service Deputy Director Denis Galvin, the entire July 4th celebration on the National Mall typically costs the agency about $2 million.
And there's the yet-to-be-determined cost of military activities on the ground, including shipping two M1A2 Abrams tanks on rail cars from Fort Stewart in Georgia along with other armored vehicles that flanked Trump as he spoke Thursday evening.
In 2018, when Trump last floated his idea for a military parade in Washington, it was scuttled after defense officials estimated it would cost $92 million, including $50 million in Defense Department money.
The Pentagon has not provided an estimate for how much the July 4th celebration will cost. Tom Crosson, a Pentagon spokesman, said costs will be determined after the event is over.
