By SETH ROBSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: April 29, 2021
Australia will invest $582 million to improve bases and training areas in its Northern Territory that are used by a rotational force of U.S. Marines, the country’s Defence Department announced Wednesday.
Upgrades will be made to Robertson Barracks, home to Marine Rotational Force — Darwin during annual six-month deployments, as well as ranges at Kangaroo Flats, Mount Bundey and Bradshaw, where the Marines train, the department said in a statement.
The Marines’ rotation Down Under will be back at nearly full strength this year, with 2,200 Marines in the Northern Territory by June, according to Australia’s defense department. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic meant last year’s force was cut by more than half, well short of the 2,500 Marines who traveled there in 2019.