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.

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.

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.