Updated February 08, 2018 12:16:35

Photo: Tanks roll down the Champs Elysee during the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris. (Reuters: Mal Langsdon)

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has confirmed the Defence Department is exploring potential proposals for a military parade after Donald Trump reportedly asked for a large-scale showcase of American might.

"We're all aware in this country of the President's affection and respect for the military," Mr Mattis told reporters at a White House briefing.

"We've been putting together some options. We'll send them up to the White House for a decision."

Mr Trump has said he was impressed by the military parade he watched in Paris on July 14 last year.

US and French soldiers marched together to mark 100 years since the United States entered World War I and France's annual Bastille Day holiday.

"To a large extent because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July 4 in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue," Mr Trump told reporters in September.

Demonstrations of military muscle are not typical in the US and they don't come cheap.

But Mr Trump will have plenty of examples from around the world to draw inspiration from:

France

Photo: French Alphajets of the Patrouille de France fly over the Champs Elysees on Bastille Day. (AP: Markus Schreiber)

Photo: Pioneers of the 1st Foreign Legion regiment carry their axes during the traditional Bastille Day military parade. (Reuters: Charles Platiau)

North Korea

Photo: North Korea marks the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father, Kim Il-sung. (Reuters: Sue-Lin Wong)

Photo: North Korean soldiers march to mark the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung. (Reuters: Damir Sagolj)

Russia

Photo: Soviet World War II T-34 tanks during a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. (Reuters: Ria Novosti)

Photo: Russian soldiers prepare for parade to mark the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. (Reuters: Sergei Karpukhin)

China

Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects troops during a parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of People's Liberation Army. (AP: Li Gang)

Photo: Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) prepare for a military parade. (Reuters: China Daily)

Photo: China's People's Liberation Army take part in a military parade. (Reuters: China Daily)

India

Photo: Indian army tanks roll along Rajpath during a rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (AP)

Ukraine

Photo: Ukrainian armoured vehicles roll through Kiev during the Independence Day military parade in 2008. (Reuters)

Iran

Photo: Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards commemorate the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war in Tehran. (Reuters: Morteza Nikoubazl)

ABC/wires

Topics: defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, donald-trump, world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, united-states

First posted February 08, 2018 09:35:57