13 Marine Aircraft to Deploy to Australia
An AH-1W Super Cobra assigned to Marine Light-Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 167. (US Navy photo/Mark Hays)
An AH-1W Super Cobra assigned to Marine Light-Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 167. (US Navy photo/Mark Hays)
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser | Jan 22, 2017 | by William Cole
The Marine Corps this spring is sending its largest aircraft element to date -- four tilt-rotor Ospreys and five Super Cobra and four Huey helicopters, all out of Hawaii -- to the next $25 million rotation of Marines to northern Australia as the Corps continues to redistribute its forces around the Pacific.
The Marines are moving to four major forward areas of operation over the next decade -- Japan, Guam, Hawaii and Australia -- as part of a "distributed laydown" that seeks to deter growing threats in the vast Asia-Pacific region, particularly from from China and North Korea.
The Osprey, with its long range and speed, is seen as a key connector for the Marine Corps in its new island-hopping strategy.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/22/13-marine-aircraft-deploy-australia.html
