Lieutenant Colonel Steven Sutey, commander of this year’s annual Marine Rotational Force Darwin, says the US military is “on track” to grow its numbers in northern Australia.

This year’s rotation, made up primarily of the California-based 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, will see 1250 US Marines based in Darwin, most at Robertson Barracks, for six months.

This is the fifth and largest group to be deployed to Australia since MRF-D was announced by the US and Australian governments in 2011 to improve interoperability between the two militaries.

Lt Col Sutey, who arrived in the Top End on Saturday, said this year’s force was the third battalion-sized group to come to Darwin.

“We are on track to grow our numbers over the years to that goal of 2500,” he said.

“This year’s force brings with it four UH-1Y (Venom) helicopters – a different capability than the CH-53s we’ve bought in the past - that will allow us to do more with our live-fire exercises (such as) close support as well as assault support and aerial command and control that we haven’t been able to do in the past."

A new class of amphibious assault ships will support Marine Corps operations for the two continents.

As Marines buckle down for another decade with limited amphibious ships and high operational demand, planners are taking a look at re-purposing some ship classes and reconfiguring others in order to bridge the demand gap.

The Marines' rotational deployment to Darwin, Australia continues to grow, with plans to build up to 2,500 Marines per six-month rotation. And the Marines' Europe-based crisis response task force for Africa -- created because of the dearth of amphibious ships to respond in that part of the world -- is increasingly participating in joint exercises and theater security cooperation efforts on both continents.

At both locations, the lack of available ships to carry Marines is felt, said Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

In the long-term, Marines plan to task a future amphibious group led by the America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, still under construction, with supporting two 90-day patrols around Australia per rotational deployment, Walsh told Military.com. That future ARG is expected to be based in San Diego and will support operations in the Pacific, including the Darwin troops.

sea basing goes beyond what was initially announced in 2011, and reduces even further the capacity for any local control and agency over the growing foreign military presence

LAWYERS for a United States Marine who allegedly assaul­ted a massage parlour boss have accused the woman of fabricating a story and stealing the ­defendant’s phone in a bid to ensure she got paid.

Matthew Mueller denied allegations he threw Qin “Linda” Zhang to the ground at Pinnacle Massage, on Cavenagh St, in Darwin.

Defence lawyer Tom Berkley said the alleged victim had slipped over as she attempted to run away with his client’s phone during a reported dispute over payment for services.

“I put to you that he wasn’t asking for a refund – he was saying he had already paid and you wanted him to pay again,” he told Ms Zhang. “You took the phone from him ... to make sure you got payment.”

Ms Zhang gave evidence she picked up the mobile phone from a massage room floor after staff summoned her from nearby Nikko Massage to deal with a dispute about 2am on September 20, 2015.

Mueller had been unhappy with his first massage and switched girls, prosecutor Ian Rowbottam said.

Ms Zhang, through a Mandarin inter­preter, told Darwin Magistrate Elizabeth Morris that Mueller demanded a refund as she tried to explain his card had been declined.

She said he demanded she give back his phone, and gave evidence he was verbally abusive before he allegedly grabbed her and threw her to the ground – twice – where she banged her head.

Mr Berkley said: “I suggest to you the only time you hit the ground was when you fell over.”

Ms Zhang said she ran back to Nikko Massage and gave Mueller’s phone to police ­because she wanted them “to catch the guy who hurt me”.

Witness Ying-Yu “Zoe” Chen gave evidence she had seen the alleged assaults.

whatever happened, the message is clear: if it's a Marine's word vs a sex worker,...

Canberra has been accused of dragging its heels over the deployment of 2500 US marines to Darwin­ just as a major report commissione­d by the Pentagon recommended steps to allow northern Australia to act as a “sanctuary” for US forces in the event of conflict in Asia.

The report, revealed by The Weekend Australian on Saturday, found Australia was becoming “more central” to US military strategy in Asia, and Washington would “increasin­gly rely on Aust­ralia for some critical capabilities”.

Up to 2500 marines were expected to be stationed on six-month rotation in Darwin from this year, under an agreement first announced by US President Barack­ Obama and then prime minister Julia Gillard in 2011.

Troop numbers have been steadily increasing with each dry-season visit, but reached only about 1150 last year. The deadline for full deployment has been pushed back till 2020. Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles yesterday blamed Canberra for the delay.

“I think our partnership with the US is a fantastic partnership and I would like to see it roll out larger and I would like to see it roll out quicker,” Mr Giles said.

The Minister for Defence, Marise Payne, said it was in “Australia’s national interest for the US to be engaged in our region” as that country’s economic, political and military focus shifted towards Asia.

“Australia continues to work closely with the US to progress toward­s rotations of about 2500 US marines and equipment by 2020,’’ Senator Payne said.

“The 2015 rotation involved around 1150 US marines, four helicopters and a range of vehicles and equipment.

“The 2016 rotation is expected to build on that, with an increase to the number of marines and equipment. Australia’s priority is to ensure­ the initiatives are fully implemented in a considered manner­.”

Negotiations are understood to be quietly taking place about what infrastructure and other facilities US forces would need to increase their presence in the Top End. Ms Payne said work was under way to finalise cost-sharing arrange­ments, and it was important the arrangements, expected to at least 25 years, were done right.

Labor Opposition Leader Mich­ael Gunner said that most Territ­orians were “comfortable” with the existing US troop presence, but significant consultation would be required if the temporary rotations were ever to become full-time deployment.

He attacked Mr Giles’s “shortsighted … cash grab” of leasing Darwin Port to a Chinese firm.

About 50 US marines are understood to be permanently stationed­ in the Top End, with equipment stored at various locations­. The US also has a permanen­t presence at Pine Gap, near Alice Springs.

A US publication has raised doubts the Territory will ever see the 2500 Marines President Barack Obama pledged to send to Darwin in 2013.

Marine Corps Times reported Tuesday that “it is not clear whether that goal will be met” and suggested the NT Government’s decision to lease the Darwin Port to Chinese-owned Landbridge Group has caused friction between the two nations.

“Darwin deployments have proven invaluable as the Pentagon looks to beef up regional security and response with an eye toward an expanding Chinese military,” it reported.

“However, the late 2015 lease of Darwin Port to Chinese-owned company Landbridge Group has caused a stir in the Pentagon, according to Australian media reports.”

Mr Obama last month reportedly told Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull the US would have liked a “heads up” before the deal was signed.

“US and Australian defence leaders are looking to rotate a three-ship amphibious readiness group through the region, and perhaps a carrier strike group,” the report stated. “Darwin’s port would need to be expanded to host an amphibious assault ship and two dock landing ships.”