MARINES TOUCH DOWN
1300 US personnel now in the Top End, with 900 still to come
THE build up of the US Marine Air Ground Task Force in Darwin moved into overdrive this week with a squadron of MV-22B Ospreys, a detachment of UH-1Y Venoms and AH-1Z Vipers from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 joining a new tranche of 300 US Marines who touched down in the Top End.
More than 1300 US military personnel are now in Darwin as part of the 10th Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (C). This will grow to 2200.
Marines and sailors from across the United States and overseas collecting in Darwin as part of Marine Rotational
Force – Darwin come from areas including Okinawa, Iwakuni, Hawaii, Southern California, and North Carolina.
Other heavy fighting equipment involved in the rotation includes an artillery battery from 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment; a detachment from 1st Combat Engineer Battalion; a detachment of RQ-20B Pumas and RQ-21A Blackjacks from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3; and a collection of transportation and engineering assets from Combat Logistics Battalion 7.
This iteration of MRF-D consists of various Marine Air-Ground Task Force-level training events, which focus on US-Australian interoperability, as well as multinational co-operation, to promote safety and security in the region.
In the beginning months, a series of exercises will train MRF-D’s mission set across the spectrum of crisis response, to include humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, embassy reinforcement, and non-combatant evacuation operations.
Further exercises will grow in scale and complexity with a focus on multinational interoperability and the strengthened commitment to allies and partners in the region.
The training events will occur throughout the Northern Territory until the conclusion of the deployment in October 2021.
A US MRF-D spokesman said each exercise is an opportunity to demonstrate the operational capability of the combined force of the US Marines and Australian Defence Force.
“These exercises provide the Marine Corps, ADF, and other allies and partners with an opportunity to develop relationships, learn about each other’s cultures, and increase shared military capabilities,” the spokesman said.
“MRF-D embodies the US’s commitment to our mutual defence treaty with Australia and is committed to enhancing the interoperability and capability of the Marine Corps.
“US service members are excited to be good neighbours and productive members of the public by safely participating in the local culture and contributing socially and economically to the local community.”