About Exercise Pitch Black 2026:
- It is a biennial and multinational exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
- It is the RAAF’s flagship international flying exercise.
- The name ‘Pitch Black’ was derived from the emphasis on nighttime flying over large unpopulated areas.
- 2026 Edition:
- It was based out of RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory, as well as RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.
- It featured a massive assembly of global air forces, providing an unparalleled platform for interoperability.
- The exercise focused on highly complex aerial manoeuvres, including offensive counter-air operations, air defence tracking, and tactical coordination between completely different styles of aircraft and communication systems.
- The IAF contingent consisted of 145 air warriors including the IAF Commandos team, Garuds, four Su-30 MKI, one C-130, and one C-17 for logistic support for induction and de-induction.
- For the IAF, training alongside advanced air assets from nations like the US, UK, Australia, France, and regional partners offers crucial exposure to contemporary air warfare tactics, electronic warfare defence, and modern network-centric operations.
- Previous participation of India: The IAF has previously participated in the 2018, 2022, and 2024 editions of this exercise.
