The modified rotation of US Marines will carry out exercises exclusively at Australian Defence Force training areas in the Northern Territory after undergoing two weeks' quarantine at a Defence base in Darwin.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds gave approval US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper for the reduced contingent in May.

At the time, she said the approval "was based on Australia's record to date in managing the impacts from COVID-19, as well as strict adherence by deployed US Marines to the mandatory 14-day quarantine and other requirements".

Despite the arrival of US Marines, Australian borders remain closed.

The last confirmed cases of coronavirus attributed to the Northern Territory came on May 1, when two Australian Defence Force personnel, who contracted coronavirus on deployment in the Middle East, were flown to Darwin.

THE NT Government and Department of Defence have defended the arrival of 1200 US soldiers into the jurisdiction, saying the COVID-19 infection risk to the community is low even though the number of infections within the US military is in the thousands.

shocked, I tell you...

Fewer than half as many U.S. Marines than originally planned will rotate to Australia’s Northern Territory for a training mission this summer that was cut short by the coronavirus, according to the Australian Minister of Defence.

The Marine Corps on May 5 announced the resumption of the rotation to the northern Australian city of Darwin. It had been scheduled to begin in March but was delayed following an order that month from Defense Secretary Mark Esper barring nearly all official movement overseas for Defense Department personnel.

“The modified rotation will involve around 1,200 Marines who will exercise exclusively at Defence training areas in the Northern Territory until September,” the Australian Ministry of Defence said in a statement Thursday.

Fifty-four Marines who arrived in Darwin in an advance party in March have already gone through a 14-day quarantine and begun training with their Australian counterparts.

The first group of additional Marines will disembark at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin in early June, beginning the Australian component of a detailed quarantine and testing regime, the Australian statement said. “They will then be screened and tested for COVID-19 upon arrival in Australia, before being quarantined for 14 days at specially prepared Defence facilities in the Darwin area,” the statement said.

Initially postponed due to coronavirus, the deployment of US Marines to the Top End is back on, but questions remain about how many are coming, when they'll arrive or where they'll be treated if any contract COVID-19.

Around 2,500 Marines were expected to arrive in Darwin in early April as part of an annual rotation to the Top End that has taken place since 2012.

But the risk of spreading COVID-19 into the Territory and its vulnerable remote Aboriginal communities was considered too great at the time.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds today informed US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper the military contingent had now been given approval.

The size and date of the deployment have yet to be determined, although the Marines usually stay in the Top End throughout the dry season. NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner welcomed Ms Reynolds' announcement and said local businesses would get a "massive boost" by having the Marines in the Top End.

PITCH Black, the Royal Australian Air Force’s largest international air engagement exercise, has been shot down by COVID-19.

Australian Defence confirmed on Tuesday that the Territory military exercise will not be conducted this year due to the coronavirus crisis.

Pitch Black hosts up to 3500 personnel and up to 120 aircraft from around the globe including participants from Australia, Canada, France (New Caledonia), Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and the United States.

Japan was to be participating for the first time in 2020.

The cancellation of Pitch Black follows on the back of the announcement that Australia’s largest army exercise for this year, Exercise Hamel, has been cancelled.