Throughout mid-August, combat aircraft and associated support assets from a host of global air arms have deployed to Australia in preparation for Exercise Pitch Black – a large-scale force employment exercise hosted biennially by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which returns after a four-year hiatus.
This year’s event will see up to 100 aircraft and approximately 2,500 personnel from 17 different nations – comprising Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK and the US – train together from August 19 to September 8. Exercise Pitch Black 2022 also marks a major milestone for the biennial event, as it will welcome Germany, Japan and South Korea as full participants for the first time.
