US President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Friday to rebrand the Department of Defence as the Department of War, his latest effort to project an image of toughness for America's military. The Republican president can't formally change the name without legislation, which his administration would request from Congress.

In the meantime, Trump will authorise the Pentagon to use 'secondary titles" so the department can go by its original name. The plans were disclosed by a White House official, who requested anonymity ahead of the public announcement, and detailed in a White House fact sheet. The Department of War was created in 1789, the same year that the US Constitution took effect. It was renamed by law in 1947, two years after the end of World War II.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth posted 'DEPARTMENT OF WAR' on social media after the executive order was initially reported by Fox News. Trump and Hegseth have long talked about changing the name, and Hegseth even created a social media poll on the topic in March. Since then, he has hinted that his title as defence secretary may not be permanent at multiple public events, including a speech at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Thursday. He told an auditorium full of soldiers that it 'may be a slightly different title tomorrow".