An Aboriginal land council has said it was partially briefed about the US military using a port on the Tiwi Islands to the north of Darwin.

The revelation came amid political argy-bargy at a Senate committee hearing about whether the Tiwi Land Council should publicly talk about the issue.

Senator Nova Peris asked the Tiwi Land Council about facilities at Port Melville.

"Has the Tiwi Land Council been briefed on the potential for the facilities to be used by US Marines or other US military organisation?" Senator Peris asked.

Tiwi Land Council executive member Andrew Tipungwuti was reluctant to go into details.

"We have been briefed on that but in part, it's not to the full extent," he said.

"If you'd really like to know, there is opportunity for any vessels floating around the Tiwi Islands, once the port gets to a development stage and does the processes, there's going to be opportunity for boats to pull in and fuel up."

Singapore-based company Ezion took out a sub-lease for Port Melville in 2010.

The Australian newspaper previously reported the company was in talks with the US military about storing military equipment there and had one day hoped to service military vessels.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion had argued Senator Peris's questions were not relevant to the hearing.

"They're asking the land council whether or not they've been briefed about the use of land that's already been leased out and sub-leased in some cases," he said.

"It just seems that the questions are coming from the position as if the land council would still be in some sort of control of the land."

But Greens Senator Rachel Siewert intervened.

"All Senator Peris asked, I would have thought it was a fair question to ask, have you been briefed? It's a pretty important issue," she said.

Tiwi Land Council acting chief executive Brian Clancy told the ABC he was unable to comment further on the briefing.

The Port Melville redevelopment has now been taken over by AusGroup.

The port was subject of considerable controversy when it was revealed that construction this month that the developer ignored environmental assessment processes.

Marine and Navy leaders are looking to engage with more partner nations in Southeast Asia, which could leave a portion of the Corps' land-based unit in Australia aboard ships, traveling around the region.

Lt. Gen. John Wissler, head of III Marine Expeditionary Force, discussed future plans for the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, which deploys to Australia's Northern Territory each spring, during the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space conference in mid-April. In the years ahead, the Marines deployed with MRF-Darwin could spend some time at sea, he said.

Having Marines on ships would extend their reach far beyond Australia so they could "continue that engagement and partnership throughout Southeast Asia," Wissler said.

About 1,170 Marines arrived in Australia in mid-April to form the fourth iteration of MRF-Darwin, a six-month rotational deployment that fits into the military's broader plan to shift its focus to the Asia-Pacific region. The Marine Corps began sending company-sized rotations in 2011, and leaders plan to eventually build up to a 2,500-person Marine air-ground task force there.

Wissler said U.S. and Australian officials are working on the agreements to plus-up to MAGTF-level. How future sea-basing options will be worked into the unit's deployments are still in the planning phases, he said.

"That could be any sort of unit, task organized for the available Navy shipping and the mission, just executed from a sea-based platform," Wissler said.

Like the patrols the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducts in the region. Wissler said the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert has stated that "he's committed to having second set ... of two 90-day patrols."

"[We will] introduce this second amphibious ready group," Wissler said.

In March, Greenert said the amphibious assault ship America — which has not yet formed an ARG — is a "prime candidate" to lead the blue-green team in and around Australia.

"They will go into Darwin ... and conduct on-load and off-load," Greenert said.

Wissler said the military-to-military partnerships in U.S. Pacific Command are expanding. He highlighted two recent Marine training events with partner militaries in Southeast Asia: Malaysia and the Philippines.

"Our numbers of engagements and execution of the PACOM U.S. Security Cooperation plan are continuing on the rise ... in the quality and the location and where we're going and where we're reaching out," he said.

sea-basing further confounds any local agency over the growing foreign military presence.

THE state-of-the-art warship USS America is slated to join a record contingent of Marines in Darwin this dry season, according to US Navy chiefs. More than 1100 American Marines will arrive in Darwin this month. The US Navy has been developing plans to send ships to Darwin Harbour, effectively allowing the Marine contingent to rapidly deploy anywhere in the Asia-Pacific region. Initial plans for the Marine rotation were to expand to 2500 troops a year by 2016 or 2017. Reports from the US suggest the build-up will reach its peak sooner rather than later.

Plans are also afoot to send amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, amphibious transport dock Green Bay and dock landing ship Ashland to the Top End this year.

Jonathan Greenert, U.S. Chief of Navy Operations, said the navy base in Australia will hold warships that will become part of an Amphibious Ready Group, acting as support group to a Marine Air Ground Task Force. Reflecting reluctance on both sides to permanently station US troops on Australian soil, a spokesman for Greenert later said the increased US naval presence in the country would be rotational, which he characterized as “placing and not basing.” Amid longstanding plans to rotate up to 2,500 US marines at a base outside of Darwin for six months every year, Washington has already identified warships which would form an Amphibious Ready Group to support a Marine Air Ground Task Force. That group would include a large amphibious assault carrier and two smaller helicopter carriers. The plan would also require the expansion of Darwin’s port. “Now, the question is by when do they need to be ready, will they come in all three, or one or two at a time,” Adm. Greenert said.

and, to everyone's shock and horror, we learn about this significant new development in our subservient relationship with the USA military via USA military leaders in foreign media outlets. #ausFailure

THE US Navy is considering increasing its presence in the Top End, a move that could see US ships based in Darwin. Neither the Territory’s ­Defence Industry minister nor the Australian Navy commented on the US plans. The Australian Navy also did not respond to questions about the US Navy’s plans, ­including whether nuclear-powered ships would enter the harbour, or whether public consultation would take place over an increased US Navy presence in Darwin.

He described the Marines’ presence in Darwin as being key to the US military’s operations in the Pacific. “It’s a big deal and a big part of our alliance in the Asia-Pacific,” he said. “We’re working towards a marine unit to be working out of Darwin by the next decade.”