Source: News on Air
Context
An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent — four Rafale fighter jets, two C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, and over 120 Air Warriors — has arrived in Australia to participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force’s premier multinational air combat exercise. This is the first time India’s Rafale jets are taking part in the exercise.
About Exercise Pitch Black 2026
What It Is
- A large-scale, premier biennial multinational air combat exercise — one of the Indo-Pacific’s largest collective air defence and strike simulation drills.
- Name derives from its emphasis on night-time (“pitch black”) flying over large, unpopulated areas.
- Host: Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF); first held in Darwin in 1983.
Key Details
- Duration: 20 July – 7 August 2026 (three weeks).
- Venue: RAAF Bases Darwin, Tindal (and Amberley), in northern Australia (Northern Territory).
- Participants: Reported as 19–20 nations (sources vary). Confirmed list includes Australia (host), USA, Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore, France, Germany, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Canada, Brunei, Fiji, Finland, Malaysia, Sweden.
