United States  President Donald Trump signed on Friday an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the "Department of War," the White House said.

The order authorized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Department to use "secondary titles" such as "Secretary of War" and "Deputy Secretary of War" in official correspondence and public communications.

The US president cannot change the name without legislation. Renaming of departments needs congressional assent.

According to a document published earlier by the White House, the US president's order instructs Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions to "permanently rename" the department.

On Friday, the Pentagon posted the text "WE ARE THE WAR DEPARTMENT" on the social media platform X.

Why does Trump want to rename the Department of Defense?

Trump has repeatedly insisted that the change in the name of the Department of Defense — which is the US government's largest organization — would project a more powerful image, deeming its current title too "defensive."

The renaming "conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve," the White House document said.

The Republican president has sought to put his stamp on a range of places and institutions by changing their names.

The US Department of Defense was called the War Department until 1947, when Congress consolidated the Army, Navy and Air Force after World War Two.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko