Pacific Perspective:Marine Rotational Force Reports to RAAF Darwin - plus Australia's Optimal Path

The first of 2500 US Marines arrived by chartered airliner at RAAF Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory on 16 March 2023.The Marines are part of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) under 1st Marine Regiment,Camp Pendleton,California.They will stay in Australia till October,training primarily with Indo-Pacific Region partners and deterring adversaries such as China and North Korea.It is their twelfth iteration of the annual deployment,which was initiated by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and President Barack Obama. Included in this year's deployment is the massive biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre,which brings together thousands of troops from Allies such as Australia,Japan,New Zealand,South Korea,the UK and the US.MRF-D will participate in high-end live fire drills.Besides the Northern Territory,they will train in Queensland and South Australia.* Eventually,US Navy and Royal Navy nuclear-powered attack submarines will rotationally deploy to Australia under the AUKUS defence pact beginning in 2027.According to the Royal Australian Navy:The pathway delivers significant long-term strategic benefits for Australia,the United Kingdom and the United States.It strengthens the combined industrial capacity of the three AUKUS partners,with increased cooperation making trilateral supply chains more robust and resilient.Key features of the AUKUS Optimal Pathway for Australian acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines include Increased Forward Presence of Royal Navy and US Navy nuclear-powered submarines to Australia to aid Australia in developing their knowledge base and industrial capabilities;the delivery of at least three Virginia-class attack submarines for the Royal Australian Navy beginning as soon as the early 2030s,with the potential to acquire up to two more if needed;the development,construction and delivery for the Royal Australian Navy of an advanced nuclear-powered submarine called 'SSN - AUKUS' incorporating Australian,UK and US technologies.* The Virginia-class attack submarines are designed and built by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries.* General Dynamics (GD),Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)