The Australian government will begin a multimillion-dollar construction project this month at two military facilities to accommodate future rotations of up to 2,500 US Marines. The project will ensure “appropriate living and working accommodation is available for the US Marine Corps.” The Corps’ presence in Australia’s Northern Territory is expected to increase dramatically next year when, starting in the spring, about 1,200 Marines arrive for six months of training in the region. The last two rotations comprised about 200 Marines. By 2016, the U.S. expects to deploy a full Marine air-ground task force numbering 2,500 personnel, officials have said. To date, the company-size units rotating through Darwin have stayed at Robertson Barracks. But with aviation support in tow next year, about 130 Marines — along with four heavy-lift helicopters — will be stationed at the air force base.

Col. John Merna, the 31st MEU’s commanding officer, said they found Bradshaw, "very austere. .... Any time you can go into a training area that’s an established training area, it’ll be more useful and effective. So more facilities, harder structures, communications — things that are more permanent — [would be] helpful.”