Editing Darwin, Northern Territory (section)

=== Military ===
{{see also|Quadrilateral Security Dialogue}}
The military presence in both Darwin and the wider Northern Territory is a substantial source of employment.<!---some of the following could be in history---> On 16 November 2011, Prime Minister [[Julia Gillard]] and President [[Barack Obama]] announced that the United States would station troops in Australia for the first time since World War II. The agreement between the U.S. and Australia would involve a contingent of 250 [[Marine Rotational Force – Darwin|Marines]] arriving in Darwin in 2012, with the total number rising to a maximum of 2,500 troops by 2017 on six-month rotations as well as a supporting air element including F-22 Raptors, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and KC-135 refuellers.<ref>{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Andrew|title=US Air Force plans to spread its fighting wings|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-31/usaf-plans-for-pacific-foreign-pol3bicy-magazine-report/4856112|work=ABC News|date=31 July 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Commission|access-date=13 May 2014}}</ref> China and [[Indonesia]] have expressed concern about the decision.<ref>*{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3ddd6756-102a-11e1-8211-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss |title=US to base 2,500 troops in Australia |newspaper=Financial Times |date=16 November 2011|access-date=17 November 2011}}
*{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-17/china-indonesia-wary-of-us-troops-in-darwin/3675866 |title=China, Indonesia wary of U.S. troops in Darwin |newspaper=ABC News |date=17 November 2011|access-date=17 November 2011}}</ref> Some analysts{{who|date=December 2019}} have argued that an expanded U.S. presence could pose a threat to security.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/us-build-up-no-threat-to-peace/story-e6frgd0x-1226194972352|title=US Build-up no threat to peace|date=15 November 2011|author=Paul Dibb|newspaper=The Australian}}</ref> Gillard announced that the first 200 U.S. Marines had arrived in Darwin from [[Hawaii]] on 3 April 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/04/first-200-us-marines-land-aussie-training-hub.html |title=First 200 US Marines land at Aussie training hub |date=4 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305004010/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/04/first-200-us-marines-land-aussie-training-hub.html |archive-date=5 March 2016  }}</ref> In 2013, further news of other expansion vectors aired in U.S. media,<ref>Seth Robson (21 August 2013) [http://www.stripes.com/news/growing-us-presence-in-australia-to-include-aircraft-1.236402 Growing US presence in Australia to include aircraft – News]. Stripes. Retrieved 29 December 2013.</ref> with no comment or confirmation from Australian authorities. The agreement between the two governments remains hidden from public scrutiny.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/rules-for-us-troops-in-nt-kept-secret-20121110-29571.html Rules for US troops in NT kept secret]. ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. (13 March 2012). Retrieved 29 December 2013.</ref> Marine numbers based in Darwin increased to more than 1,150 by 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last=La Canna|first=Xavier|title=Marines arriving in Darwin|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2014/03/26/3971865.htm|work=105.7 ABC Darwin|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Commission|access-date=13 May 2014}}</ref> In a 2019 telephone survey of local residents, 51% of respondents had positive feelings about the U.S. troop presence, with 6% responding negatively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/survey-finds-that-us-marines-are-welcome-in-australia-s-northern-territory-1.579871|title=Survey finds that US Marines are welcome in Australia's Northern Territory}}</ref> In late 2021, the [[US Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] signed a contract to create a {{convert|300|e6l|usgal}} fuel storage facility at [[East Arm, Northern Territory#Business|East Arm]].

Darwin hosts biennial multi-nation exercises named "[[Exercise Pitch Black|Pitch Black]]";<ref>*{{cite news |last=Purtill |first=James |date=2 August 2014 |title=Air Force exercise Pitch Black takes off over Darwin and Katherine, residents brace for noise |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-01/residents-brace-for-noise-as-pitch-black-takes-off/5640390 |newspaper=ABC |access-date=28 August 2014 }}
*{{cite news |last=Yeo |first=Mike |date=26 August 2014 |title=Exercise Pitch Black Concludes in Darwin |url=https://thediplomat.com/2014/08/exercise-pitch-black-concludes-in-darwin/ |newspaper=The Diplomat |access-date=28 August 2014 }}</ref> in 2014 this involved military personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Jason |date=27 August 2014 |title=U.S. Top Guns in Darwin Combat Drills as China Tensions Rise |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-27/u-s-top-guns-in-darwin-dog-fight-drills-as-china-tensions-rise.html |newspaper=Bloomberg |access-date=28 August 2014 }}</ref>