The Territory government has begun discussions with the Defence Department about the possible deployment of long range missiles in the Top End.

Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Darwin this week, NT Major Projects Commissioner Jason Schoolmeester said the government had begun talks with the commonwealth about potential locations for the rollout.

Announced as part of the Defence Strategic Review released in April, Canberra plans to spend $4.1bn to acquire more long-range strike systems and a missile manufacturing capacity.

Its shopping list includes $1.6bn for long-range strike capabilities including speeding-up the delivery of extra high mobility artillery rocket systems — HIMARS — and the precision strike missiles — PRISM.

It’s hoping the HIMARS, which have a range of up to 300km, will be in place by 2026-27.

Defence plans to spend $2.5bn for guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise as part of its proposed $19bn commitment over the next five years to meeting the review’s priorities.

MRF-D Commanding Officer Colonel Brendan Sullivan said the three-week training program was an incredibly important part of humanitarian aid preparation.

He said Exercise Crocodile Response was one of up to eight named exercises the contingent would practise during its deployment.

“The reality is the most likely mission we’ll confront – if history is any indicator – is disaster relief,” Colonel Sullivan said.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to do it alongside our ADF partners, and to start with a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise, I think sends a strong message that it’s something very, very important to us.”

The exercise is one of many that troops from the US, Indonesia, and Australia will take part in as part of humanitarian aid and disaster relief training for Exercise Crocodile Response 2023.

Darwin resident Sue lives on the fringe of a PFAS contamination zone and is one of the 30,000 Australians involved in a class action against the Defence Department.

"Residents have been trapped on contaminated land for years," Shine Lawyers' head of class actions Craig Allsopp said.

"They are unable to sell their properties or enjoy simple freedoms like running the tap for a glass of water or to bathe their children.

"Toxicology reports point to PFAS levels in the eight areas of investigation being dangerously high. It's time the government showed some accountability."

"It shouldn't be denial. It should be taking ownership of it, dealing with it and rectifying, and paying people out that need the money for medical bills and their properties."

An ex-US Marine bomb technician set alight in a barbecue explosion is claiming officials knew about a gas leak which led to the incident.

The 25-year-old has claimed in court documents seen by the ABC that he received 30 per cent burns to his body after attempting to light a barbecue which officials knew had a gas leak.

The documents say that around 11pm on August 1, 2019, Mr Williamson had tried to light the barbecue "to cook some hot dogs and burgers", unaware there was a pre-existing leak.

Barrister for the US government, Dr Christopher Ward SC, argued that the US should "retain foreign sovereign immunity" in the case, as it did not involve any harm or incident to an Australian citizen.

Thousands of US Marines have arrived on our shores for a mission that is also bolstering the amphibious warfighting capability of the Australian Army.

The Marines – who arrived in the Northern Territory for their 12th annual rotation in March – specialise in amphibious operations and are also in the middle of a major transformation to match China’s armed forces.

Colonel Brendan Sullivan, the commanding officer of this year’s Marine rotational force, said this year’s training exercises in Australia and the surrounding region offered “incredible opportunities”.

Asked if they were seeking to replicate potential conflict scenarios in the South China Sea, the Pacific Islands or the Taiwan Strait, Colonel Sullivan said that was something “we’re grappling with right now” as the Marines sought to project force across a greater range.

“We’re going through a force design process where we’re trying to achieve the force that we think we’re going to need to have in the years ahead … and trying to get after some of the challenges that we think are associated in those operating environments,” he said.

“We’re trying to posture so that we can be ready to operate in that type of environment in the near future.”

This year’s Marine exercises include Predator’s Run in the Northern Territory and Melville Island, north of Darwin.