WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Friday to rebrand the Department of Defense 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 authorize the Pentagon to use “secondary titles” so the department can go by its original name.

The US president has sought to refocus the department on "warfighting" and a "warrior ethos".

The president is turning back the clock to the name the agency held until shortly after World War II.