Overview
- The exercise, which opened Monday, July 20, runs until August 7 and brings roughly 100 aircraft and about 2,500 personnel to RAAF bases in Darwin, Tindal and Amberley.
- American, Australian and Japanese F-35A stealth fighters are training together while an Indian contingent is operating Rafale fighters supported by C-17 transports and IL-78 refuellers.
- Organisers say the scenarios emphasise large-force employment, contested night operations and integration of fighters, tankers, transports and ISR systems and do not target any single country.
- Members of the public can see a Mindil Beach flyover on July 23 and attend an RAAF Base Darwin open day on August 1 with scheduled night-flying exercises from August 3 to August 6.
- Pitch Black has run since 1981 as the RAAF’s premier multinational air combat drill and this year’s edition is being watched closely after recent regional strategic developments such as a Chinese submarine missile test and escalations in the US–Iran conflict.