250-foot arch: Pentagon claims structure will serve as a military perch

Washington’s planned triumphal arch is also a military asset, according to two Cabinet officials who filed court documents on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin submitted declarations to U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. The filings explain why the administration believes the 250-foot structure must be built to protect the capital from drones and other threats.

The documents outline a specific timeline for the project. Construction crews could break ground as soon as November 5. However, Justice Department officials stated that aboveground construction would not start until May 2027 at the earliest. The work could stretch into 2030.

Hegseth wrote under penalty of perjury that the arch represents a generational national defense opportunity. He described the project as a dual-purpose structure that serves as both a national monument and a tool for homeland defense. The arch is positioned by the south end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Officials said the structure would provide a perch to coordinate security responses and deploy snipers.

Mullin added in his own declaration that the security features will be fully integrated into the existing design. The administration has shifted its public messaging on the project. While President Donald Trump initially described the arch as a celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, he recently said he planned to convert it into a military complex. Final plans released by the administration did not mention the military purpose or change the design. Tourists are still expected to visit the facility.

The legal filings aim to stop a lawsuit from halting the project. Judge Chutkan will hear arguments on Friday afternoon. Three Vietnam War veterans and a historic preservationist are suing the administration. They argue the arch would disrupt visits to Arlington National Cemetery and interfere with nearby monuments. Other groups, including national parks advocates and architects, joined the suit. They contend that Congress must formally approve the project before it can proceed.

The administration points to a 1924 report by a federal commission to justify their legal authority. That report called for building a pair of 166-foot-tall columns with statues on the site. Congress authorized the report in 1925, but the columns were never built. Officials submitted additional documents from the 1930s and 1940s to support their argument. These documents show deliberations about building a structure at the site.

Public opinion on the project is divided. A YouGov poll released in September found that 48% of Americans oppose the arch. Thirty percent support it, and 22% are unsure. Veterans groups are also split on the issue. VoteVets, a Democratic-aligned organization, launched a campaign last month to mobilize veterans against the arch. They cited the symbolic weight of the structure overshadowing graves. A 3D model analysis showed how the arch’s shadows would move across the graves of veterans from the Vietnam War, Korean War, World War II, World War I, the Spanish-American War, and the Civil War.

On the other side, Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans for America First, and several other groups filed a brief on Wednesday. They supported the administration’s position and called for the arch to be built. The groups argued that the veterans suing the project lacked legal standing and did not speak for all veterans. The White House encouraged these groups to join the brief, according to three people familiar with the plans.