The contingent will be the largest since the US and Australia signed an agreement allowing the six-month rotations in 2011.
“Approximately 1,250 Marines will deploy to Darwin, Australia, in 2017 for the sixth iteration of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin,” Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, told SBS in a statement.
“Most of the Marines will come from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.”
The 2017 rotation will also include four Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, five Super Cobra helicopters and four Huey helicopters.
Marine Rotational Force Darwin is a series of joint exercises, training and exchanges between the US and the Australian Defence Force.
Under the terms of the agreement, which was signed by former US President Barack Obama and then-Prime Minister Julie Gillard in 2011, the deployments is able to grow to 2,500 Marines.
However, this year’s deployment will fall well short of that.
The Marine Corps is waiting for more funding before it commits more Marines to Darwin, according to the .
“We’ve essentially tapped out what we can use of existing facilities and for sustainment [in Darwin]”, the publication quoted Craig Whelden, Executive Director of Marine Corps Forces Pacific, as saying.
“The size and composition of each Marine rotation to Australia is mutually determined based on the nature of the training and planned regional engagement activities, and is balanced against other resource commitments and respective national priorities,” the Marine Corps said.
MRF-D is part of what the Marines call a ‘distributed laydown’ or pivot to the Pacific region by building up its facilities and capabilities in nations like Japan, Guam, Hawaii and Australia.
Beginning in 2012 with a deployment of 200 Marines, the size of the contingent grew to 1,250 Marines and four aircraft last year, according to Australia’s Defence Department.
The agreement does not allow for the US to build permanent bases in Australia but to use existing Australian facilities. The Marines are based at Robertson Barracks, RAAF Base Darwin and Defence Establishment Berrimah.
Their last deployment in 2016 saw the Marines engage with Top End community too, taking part in blood donations, marathons and events with Indigenous children.
A 2013 report by Deloitte found a Marine contingent was expected to add about $5 million to the Northern Territory economy.
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