U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptors and Australian air force F-35A Lightning IIs and a KC-30A multirole tanker perform an elephant walk during Exercise Pitch Black at Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, July 31, 2024. (Spencer Tobler/U.S. Air Force)
American warplanes will join more than 100 aircraft from 19 other nations for Australia’s largest international air combat exercise.
The biennial Pitch Black drills are scheduled for July 20 through Aug. 7 in the Northern Territory and Queensland, according to a Monday news release from the Australian Defence Department.
“This is the Royal Australian Air Force’s largest international exercise featuring complex, combat-like scenarios across one of the largest military training areas in the world over a three-week period,” the release said.
Other participants include Brunei, Canada, Fiji, Finland, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
Pacific Air Forces did not immediately respond to an email Monday afternoon seeking details on U.S. participation.
During 2024’s Pitch Black, the Air Force deployed F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal in the Northern Territory, while Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey operated from RAAF Darwin.
“Exercise Pitch Black 26 is vital for the preparedness and collective security of both Australia and the region,” the exercise’s commander, Air Commodore Matt McCormack, said in the news release.
“By training together in complex scenarios, we enhance our shared preparedness and ability to operate together, while also demonstrating our collective commitment to maintaining regional stability and security,” he said.
Pitch Black will also feature public events in Darwin, including the Mindil Beach Flying Display on July 23 and the RAAF Darwin Open Day on Aug. 1.
“These events are fantastic opportunities for Northern Territory families, visitors and aviation enthusiasts to meet highly-skilled aviators and see some incredible aircraft up close,” Air Commodore Micka Gray, the Australian air force’s head of air shows, said in the release.
