Bold plan to flood Darwin with thousands of US Marines as cheapest way to defend 'under-prepared Australia from enemies Think tank floats expanded US Marine deployment Calls for 16,000 troops per rotation each year READ MORE: ADF slammed for woke recruit questions By David Southwell For Daily Mail Australia Published: 01:37 BST, 9 August 2024 | Updated: 01:37 BST, 9 August 2024 e-mail View comments Up to 16,000 US Marines would by stationed in Australia's Top End by 2025 under a radical new defence plan. A report by two think tanks has called for the US military presence in Darwin to be beefed up to 16,000 US Marines as one of the cheapest and quickest ways for Australia to deter potential enemies. Currently 2,500 Marines are stationed at Robertson Barracks, Palmerston on a rotational basis and are supported by a large fleet of US military vehicles and other equipment.
The National Security and Australia’s Northern Defence report by the Institute of Public Affairs and Strategic Analysis Australia argues Australia faces a 'worsening strategic outlook' and does not have the 'luxury' of planning for 10 years ahead. 'To be frank a larger USMC presence in northern Australia offers the cheapest boost to deterrence Australia could possibly buy,' the report by former Defence official Peter Jennings and strategy expert Michael Shoebridge says. 'This approach compliments the American military strategy of dispersal through the Indo-Pacific and would add substantially to US and Austral.