Exercise Pitch Black 2026

Exercise Pitch Black 2026

¨     Exercise Pitch Black 2026 is scheduled to take place from 20 July to 7 August 2026 in Australia’s Northern Territory.

¨     The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in this biennial multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

¨     It is the largest international exercise conducted by the RAAF.

¨     Exercise Pitch Black is a multinational air combat training exercise involving complex, combat-like scenarios.

¨     It is conducted once every two years.

¨     More than 100 aircraft and personnel from 19 countries are expected to participate in Pitch Black 2026.

¨     Participating nations include Australia, India, United States, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Spain, Sweden, Brunei, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.

¨     The exercise will be conducted from RAAF Base Darwin, RAAF Base Tindal (Northern Territory), and RAAF Base Amberley (Queensland).

¨     The training will take place over one of the largest military training areas in the world, used for air combat integration and tactical operations.

¨     The exercise aims to enhance multinational cooperation, interoperability, and advanced air combat readiness.