On October 5th, local time, US President Trump hosted a US Navy celebration in Norfolk, Virginia to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Navy. At that time, Trump did not let the shutdown of the government affect his trip. He traveled to the site to pay tribute to the Navy as it celebrated its 250th anniversary.
According to sources, the White House recently urged the Navy to use 2,000 pounds (about 1814 kilograms) of real ammunition instead of silent ammunition to simulate explosions during the 250th anniversary military exercises. White House officials clearly demanded that Trump “see a real explosion” during the 5th exercise, rather than just create a “big scene.”
During his second term, Trump pushed the U.S. military to hold large parades and exercises. For example, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, a tank parade was held in Washington, D.C. in June at the request of Trump.
It is that at the naval celebration at the time, the Trump couple boarded the aircraft carrier deck and watched a resumed military exercise, the Truman fleet fighter aircraft successively launched missiles, and intensely scaned with a Gatlin machine gun; seven destroyers launched various cannons, including a 5-inch large-caliber cannon; the MH-60S "Sea Eagle" helicopter also launched rockets and cannons, and the Marine Leopard assault crew landed directly from the aircraft.
It is reported that during the initial presidential review plan, military personnel had intended to use simulated explosions rather than live ammunition. However, the anonymous insider who disclosed the news had no authorization to publicly discuss the matter and would not comment on the Navy's final decision to switch to live ammunition.
Generally speaking, the U.S. Navy and other military departments use duds or inert shells for training and demonstrations. Duds are cheaper than live ammunition because they do not contain expensive explosives, detonators and other components and are safer.
But according to the White House, the shells during the celebration were not replaced. "Organizers have planned to use live ammunition from the beginning, which is routine practice during training exercises," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Shortly after the celebration, a real-world shooting demonstration took place on October 18 at the U.S. military base in Pendelton – a real-world bomb exploded prematurely due to a launcher error, and the ammunition drove to California Interstate 5, causing Vice President Wallace’s security car to be hit by cannon fragments.
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