AsianFin -- U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing that the Department of Defense (DoD) be officially known as the Department of War, restoring the agency’s historic name last used in the 1940s. The order states the aim is to “project strength and resolve” amid current global challenges.

Initially, the department will adopt the new name as a secondary title while the administration seeks congressional approval to make the change permanent. The White House has not disclosed the cost of the rebranding, but US media estimate it could reach as much as $1 billion, given the need to update emblems, email addresses, uniforms, and signage across hundreds of offices and agencies.

The Department of Defense oversees the US armed services and is the successor to the War Department, first established as a cabinet-level agency in 1789 and operating until 1947. According to the executive order, “The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.”

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said the change “is a much more appropriate name, in light of where the world is right now,” adding that it “sends a message of victory.”