CANBERRA (Agencies): Australia’s ‘Pitch Black’ air combat exercise has commenced this week, marking its largest iteration since its inception in 1981.
“With around 140 aircraft and over 4,000 personnel from 20 nations participating, this year’s exercise Pitch Black is the largest in its 43-year history,” stated the Australian Department of Defense.
The three-week exercise, running from July 12 to August 2, is primarily based at the Royal Australian Air Force bases in Darwin and Tindal, strategically located in the Northern Territory to enhance defense cooperation with regional partners.
The U.S. Air Force has deployed six F-22 Raptors from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, to Tindal. “This will be the first time the F-22A has participated in this exercise,” a Pacific Air Forces spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Although Raptors were deployed to Tindal in 2022, they did not participate in joint fighter training.
Among the 20 participating nations, 16 are deploying aircraft for combat training, while four will contribute personnel to observe and support the exercise.
“For the first time, aircraft and personnel from the Philippines, Spain, Italy, and Papua New Guinea, along with embedded personnel from Fiji and Brunei, will participate,” noted the Australian statement.
The Philippines, making its debut at the biennial exercise, has sent FA-50PH Fighting Eagle aircraft, marking the first international deployment of these aircraft outside their territory.
“The key takeaway will be a strengthened friendship with the Philippines, and exercises like this will continue to bolster that,” said Australian Air Commodore Pete Robinson, who is leading the exercise. “We’ll leave with a stronger partnership.”
Additionally, the exercise will feature aircraft from France, Germany, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, with personnel from Canada and New Zealand.
Italy, participating in combat training for the first time, has sent six F-35A and F-35B aircraft, four Eurofighters, a KC-767 refueling aircraft, and an E-550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning aircraft, along with approximately 400 air force members.
The German, French, and Spanish air forces will continue their presence in the Indo-Pacific region as part of their Pacific Skies deployment mission, which includes five exercises. This mission began with Arctic Defender in Alaska and will continue with the Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii, followed by exercises in Japan and India throughout August.
This year’s Pitch Black provides a platform for several NATO members to train with regional partners for the first time. Concerns over China’s military ties with Russia have prompted NATO to focus more on Indo-Pacific partnerships. At its recent summit in Washington, D.C., the 32 member states called on China to “cease all material and political support to Russia’s war effort,” directly blaming Beijing for its role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“What happens in Ukraine today can happen in Asia tomorrow,” outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 11.
In addition to fostering new partnerships, the training will immerse advanced fighter jets in complex scenarios, focusing on tactical execution of large force employment, offensive counterair, and ground operations.