Photo By Sgt. Brian Stippey | U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 and Australian soldiers from...... read more read more
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DARWIN, Australia – In a first-of-its-kind operation, U.S. Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) used the Tactical Air-Ground Refueling System (TAGRS) to refuel an Australian ARH Tiger helicopter for the first time, showcasing the expanding interoperability between allied forces in the Indo-Pacific.
The training took place on Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin and marked both the debut of the TAGRS system on Australian soil as well as the first time it has been used to refuel Australian aircraft, highlighting a new milestone in bilateral logistics integration.
TAGRS is a lightweight, mobile refueling system capable of being transported in the back of an MV-22B Osprey and rapidly deployed in austere environments. The TAGRS augments MRF-D’s expeditionary logistics capability, enabling rapid fueling in forward locations and offering new ways to project air power and sustain operations in remote terrain.
“The system enhances forward arming and refueling points, better known as FARPs,” said U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shahid Jordan, the fuel officer with MRF-D 25.3. “It is designed to keep aircraft forward deployed at the point of need instead of having them fly back to the rear for fuel.”
“Having the opportunity to conduct these training serials with the TAGRS and the MV-22 Osprey provides the foundation training necessary to permit combined coalition missions,” said LTCOL Matthew Sherry, Commanding Officer of the 1st Aviation Regiment. “It permits the employment of conventional rotorcraft to the extended ranges of non-conventional rotorcraft to ensure a lethal and agile force package is available wherever it is required.”
As MRF-D continues to train alongside the Australian Defence Force, operations like this showcase the ability of U.S. and Australian units to rapidly integrate systems, personnel, and procedures across the battlespace. These shared capabilities will be further tested and refined during Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 and set the stage for future combined operations across the Indo-Pacific as we move from interoperable to interchangeable forces.
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2025 21:47 |
| Story ID: | 542620 |
| Location: | DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AU |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From TAGRS to Tigers: Bilateral refueling operation marks new milestone for MRF-D, by 1LT Samuel DeRobertis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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