Australia Welcomes United Sates Marines Back to Darwin

United States Marines have arrived in the Northern Territory as part of the 12th rotation of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D).

Over the next seven months, up to 2,500 Marines will conduct combined training exercises with their Australian Defence Force counterparts, as well as with regional partner nations.

The rotation will enhance the capabilities, interoperability, and readiness of the ADF and the United States Marine Corps and is a significant part of the United States Force Posture Initiatives, a hallmark of Australia’s Alliance with the US.

For more than a decade, cooperation under the Force Posture Initiatives has enhanced our capacity to deter coercion and maintain a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.

Since its establishment under the Gillard Government in 2011, the Marine Rotational Force has expanded from an initial 200 Marines to now ten times that size each year.

The Force Posture Initiatives have also since expanded to initiatives across the air, maritime, land and logistics domains.

Last week, the Albanese Government announced as part of AUKUS, an expansion of the Force Posture Initiatives in the Submarine Rotational Force – West, which will see US nuclear-powered submarines rotate through HMAS Stirling beginning from 2027.

The Marines will remain in Australia until October 2023.