Record-Breaking Exercise Pitch Black Set to Enhance International Air Combat Training
Photo: Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare, or AM) Eurofighter Typhoons taxi at RAAF Base Darwin, followed by an AM KC-767A tanker transport, on arrival for Exercise Pitch Black 24. Photo by Flight Lieutenant Claire Campbell.
Australia’s largest international air combat training exercise, Exercise Pitch Black, will run from 12 July to 2 August. This year marks the largest iteration in the exercise’s 43-year history, featuring over 140 aircraft from around the world and approximately 4,435 personnel from 20 participating nations.
The exercise will also host a concurrent International Observer Group program, allowing foreign forces to observe and appreciate Australia’s preparation and execution of major activities.
For the first time, aircraft and personnel from the Philippines, Spain, Italy, and Papua New Guinea, as well as embedded personnel from Fiji and Brunei, will participate. Additionally, aircraft from France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States, along with embedded personnel from Canada and New Zealand, will also join the exercise.
Aircraft will operate from RAAF bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory, with additional tanker and transport aircraft stationed at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.
Exercise Pitch Black is the Royal Australian Air Force’s most significant flying activity, aimed at strengthening international engagement and enhancing its ability to collaborate with overseas partners. Held every two years, the exercise focuses on large-force air-power-employment missions involving numerous international aircraft, boosting the RAAF’s responsiveness to air-combat requirements.
For international participants, Exercise Pitch Black offers invaluable experience in deploying air-combat assets and support personnel over long distances. Upon arrival, participants integrate their forces with those of other nations, working directly with peer or near-peer air forces.
The exercise provides a training and integration environment that supports international participants’ training needs and their ability to support operations in the Indo-Pacific. On an individual level, it builds strong relationships between Australian aviators and personnel from across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
Exercise Pitch Black underscores Australia’s strong international relationships and the importance placed on regional security and closer ties throughout the Indo-Pacific and globally. The 2024 iteration showcases some of the world’s most advanced air-combat capabilities, operated and supported by a highly skilled workforce in a challenging training environment.
