Exercise Pitch Black 24: A Landmark Event in International Air Combat Training
Defence News
The Royal Australian Air Force’s premier international engagement activity, Exercise Pitch Black 24, reached unprecedented heights as it involved approximately 4,400 personnel and 140 aircraft from 20 nations. This iteration marked the largest in the exercise’s 43-year history, with missions often featuring over 50 aircraft at a time, conducted in one of the world’s most extensive military training areas.
Air Commodore Pete Robinson, the Officer Commanding the Exercise, emphasized that the exercise met the training and engagement objectives of all participating nations, while also strengthening international relationships and friendships. “The feedback from all international partners and our own people alike was that Exercise Pitch Black 24 was a world-class air combat training activity,” AIRCDRE Robinson stated. “More than 1,700 missions were flown in the exercise across an area about the size of Great Britain. The value of this exercise comes in the experience we’ve built with international partners, and the friendships and relationships we’ve created with them on the ground and in the air.”
AIRCDRE Robinson also praised his staff for their exceptional handling of an emergency situation when an Italian Air Force pilot ejected from a Typhoon aircraft on 24 July. “We train for these scenarios as part of our safety planning, and I was pleased to see the calm, professional, and quick work by our teams to ensure this positive outcome – I couldn’t be happier with how they all performed.”
Exercise Pitch Black 24 featured first-time participation by aircraft and personnel from the Philippines, Spain, Italy, and Papua New Guinea, along with embedded personnel from Fiji and Brunei. Additionally, it included aircraft from France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with embedded personnel from Canada and New Zealand.
The exercise was primarily conducted from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory, and RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, showcasing a remarkable display of international cooperation and air combat prowess.
