The US is establishing a forward arming and refueling point on Tinian Photo: Facebook / U.S. Pacific Air Forces
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. Photo: Naina Rao / KPRG News
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.
"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.
