Mark
Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the
Northern Marianas correspondent
United States Pacific
forces are sharpening their ability to operate in dispersed
island locations as part of preparations for a potential
conflict with China, establishing a forward arming and
refueling point on Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands,
according to intelligence platform Defence
Connect.
Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron
171 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 deployed to
Tinian – about 160 kilometres north of Guam – under an
aviation training relocation programme aimed at
strengthening expeditionary aviation capabilities and
reinforcing security across the Indo-Pacific.
Tinian’s
proximity to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam allows aircraft
to refuel and receive logistical support quickly, making the
island a strategic training ground for forward-based
operations and distributed force posture in the western
Pacific.
Marine Corps Sgt Kuyler Brown, an
expeditionary fuels technician with the support squadron,
said the exercise was intended to demonstrate the Marines’
ability to establish a forward arming and refuelling point,
or FARP, at short notice.
“We are out here training to
show we can set up a FARP anywhere quickly and provide
support wherever the fight is happening,” Brown
said.
“Having a FARP allows us to stay in the fight
… It cuts down on flight time, keeps our jets in the air
longer and shows we can set up anywhere and
operate.
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“This kind of training builds the Marines’
confidence not only in their own capabilities but in each
other.
“Our Marines know how to do their jobs, and
exercises like this prove we can make it happen.”
The
FARP was used in simulated real-world scenarios, allowing
ground crews to practise live set-up and sustainment
operations while pilots flew missions away from their
primary base with continuous support.
Training from
island locations such as Tinian enables Marines to rehearse
assembling, dismantling and operating forward refuelling
sites in austere environments – a key component of the US
military’s strategy to disperse forces across the
Pacific.
According to Defence Connect, the
successful set-up and operation on Tinian demonstrated
Marine Wing Support Squadron 171’s ability to rapidly deploy
and sustain aviation operations from remote island
locations.
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