Australia: Indian Air Force actively engages in Exercise Pitch Black
Darwin, July 28
The Indian Air Force on Tuesday said that its contingent is actively engaged in the Exercise Pitch Black 2026 alongside the Royal Australian Air Force and Air Forces from 20 nations in Australia's Darwin.
Exercise Pitch Black 2026 is a biennial multinational air combat exercise that brings together Air Forces of top countries and provides a unique opportunity to enhance interoperability besides strengthening operational cooperation.
"The Indian Air Force contingent is actively engaged in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 alongside the Royal Australian Air Force and Air Forces from 20 nations," the IAF stated on X.
"A spectacular Rafale flypast over Darwin's iconic Mindil Beach marked the opening of the exercise. The IAF contingent also clinched Gold in the multinational football tournament. Training Together. Integrating Seamlessly. Flying Stronger," it added.
Last week, the Indian contingent met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the opening ceremony of Exercise Pitch Black 2026 at Darwin.
"From the seabed to the sky - the India-Australia defence relations are set to touch the sky with glory! Our Indian Air Force contingent had the privilege to interact with Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese during the opening ceremony of Exercise Pitch Black 2026 at Darwin," the Indian High Commission in Australia posted on X.
"Four Rafale aircraft with around 100 Air Warriors from the IAF are honing their air combat skills alongside participants from 20 other countries in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, the largest international air combat exercise in the Southern hemisphere, hosted by Australia," it added.
Earlier on July 17, the IAF contingent arrived in Australia for Exercise Pitch Black 2026. The exercise will sharpen operational synergy and facilitate the exchange of best practices, according to the statement released by the Indian Air Force.
Being held from July 20 to August 07, Exercise Pitch Black is the RAAF's premier biennial multinational air combat exercise. The exercise derives its name from its emphasis on night flying over the vast unpopulated areas of northern Australia.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Gold medal in multinational football tournament and Rafale flypast over Mindil Beach - our boys are showing talent both in air and on ground! Exercise Pitch Black is a great platform for interoperability. India-Australia defence ties touching new heights.
Great to see India actively participating in multinational exercises like Pitch Black. The Rafale is a beast of an aircraft. But I hope we also focus on indigenous platforms like Tejas and AMCA - can't always rely on foreign hardware.
Exercise Pitch Black 2026 is massive - 21 nations! Our 100 air warriors with 4 Rafales honing skills in night flying over unpopulated areas of northern Australia. This is exactly the kind of training our pilots need. Kudos to IAF for seamless integration.
Love the phrase "From the seabed to the sky - India-Australia defence relations are set to touch the sky with glory!" ❤️ This exercise shows real strategic partnership. But I wonder about the cost - ₹? crore for deployment. Hope it's justified.
Exercise Pitch Black name comes from night flying focus - fitting name! Our Rafales shining alongside RAAF and others. Seeing PM Albanese interact with our contingent shows how far India-Australia ties have come. Strategic autonomy with strong partnerships.
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