US Marines bound for WA's West Kimberley as part of large-scale Koolendong military exercise
The United States military has confirmed plans to conduct training exercises at a RAAF base in northern Western Australia later this year.
Exercise Koolendong is expected to involve more than 2,200 US military personnel across the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia throughout July.
US Marines and sailors would participate in the WA portion of the exercise with Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel for about 20 days.
A reinforced rifle company from Marine Rotational Force — Darwin (MRF-D) as well as a detachment from US Army Pacific would participate in and around RAAF Base Curtin in West Kimberley, and at other WA training areas.
The facility, about 30 kilometres south of Derby, is one of the RAAF's so-called bare bases — used for training exercises and operations but having sat idle for the better part of the last decade.
Darwin-based US Marine Corps captain Joseph DiPietro said it had been some time since the base hosted collaborative training exercises.
"We're really looking and excited to participate in exercises across all of Australia, so we've been planning to participate in QLD, NT and WA," he said.
"We're looking to expand that to take advantage of the great opportunities, resources and training areas that Australia has to offer, both us and our ADF partners."
The Department of Defence recently revealed plans to spend $244 million to upgrade key infrastructure at RAAF Base Curtin.  
The refurbishment will include upgrades to communications, accommodation, aircraft hangars and security infrastructure. 
Captain DiPietro said Exercise Koolendong was an opportunity for the MRF-D to train and showcase its capabilities as a Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
"Some of those key capabilities include long-range logistics and communication operations, expeditionary advanced base operations, where we can forward posture to be prepared for whatever crisis and contingency may come up," he said.
"We're also going to be conducting long-range aerial, ground and amphibious patrolling through and around WA and the NT."
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