Up to 100 fighter jets from around the world will take to the skies over northern Australia for Exercise Pitch Black tomorrow in the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) biggest air combat training activity.
The RAAF says the biennial war games help strengthen Australia’s relationships with allied partners, with thousands of personnel from 20 nations participating in this year’s manoeuvres, including the new addition of embedded aviators from Finland and Sweden.
A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III sits on the flight line at RAAF Base Amberley along with various ground support equipment before heading to Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
The 2026 exercises come amid heightened tensions in the region, beginning two weeks after China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean from a nuclear-powered submarine for the first time earlier this month.
What is Exercise Pitch Black?
Exercise Pitch Black is a large-scale training activity involving the RAAF and allied countries held every two years for more than four decades.
From July 20 to August 7, 2,500 military personnel will use Darwin as their primary base while navigating realistic and complex training scenarios.
A German Air Force member conducts maintenance on a Eurofighter at RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
As the name suggests, Exercise Pitch Black allows aviators to practice manoeuvres in all conditions, including at night.
Since 1983, Darwin has hosted the war games with the help of RAAF Base Tindal in Katherine and RAAF Base Amberley, south-west of Brisbane.
Two Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft taxi into RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
The 20 countries taking part in this year’s exercises include New Zealand, the United States, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, India, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain, Fiji, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden.
For the first time, Japan has sent its F-35 Lightning II, and Indonesia has brought its T-50I Golden Eagle jets.
What are they training for?
Pitch Black exercise commander Air Commodore Matthew McCormack said aviators were not training for any one specific threat.
“The analogy I use is like a World Cup football match,” he said.
Air Commodore Micka Gray, Air Commodore Matthew McCormack and Wing Commander Rowan Paice get ready, along with other participating personnel. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
“You wouldn’t expect that your nation’s team would rock up to the grand final … without a whole bunch of practice before getting to that position.”
Despite heightened tensions across the world amid China’s recent missile strike and the war in Iran, Air Commodore McCormack said the practice scenarios would be based on a “generic”, “high-threat environment”.
An Indian Air Force pilot disembarks his aircraft after landing at RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
“Clearly, Defence is acutely aware of what’s going on in our region, as are all our partners, what’s going on in the global environment, and these are interesting times that we live in,” he said.
“However, the whole purpose of all our partner nations being here is to do that training, to uplift our skill sets.
A Papua New Guinea PAC750 Aircraft lands at RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
“It’s not focused on any particular, current situation or recent situation. It is part of the training continuum.”
What aircraft will be involved?
Plane spotters rejoice!
More than 20 different types of aircraft from 15 nations will be participating in Exercise Pitch Black this year.
The pilot of a A330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft holds a Spanish flag out the window after landing at RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
France will be flying its CN-235, while both Germany and Spain are set to steal the show with their supersonic Typhoons.
The United Kingdom has sent over its Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, while the United States has brought its C-130J, F-35A and KC-135 assets.
Papua New Guinea’s PAC-750, the Philippines’ FA-50PH and Korea’s F-16 will also make appearances.
An Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft takes off at RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
For the first time, Japan will be participating in the war games with its F-35 Lightning II while Indonesia launches its T-50I Golden Eagle jets.
For those feeling particularly patriotic, the RAAF will supply eight different types of aircraft, including an F-35A Lightning II, an F/A-18F Super Hornet and an EA-18G Growler.
What can we expect?
It’s about to get pretty noisy in Darwin, with the ground-shaking rumble of fighter jets taking off starting from tomorrow.
From Monday to Sunday this week, about 100 aircraft will launch in waves in both the morning and early afternoon.
An Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft arrives at RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
Next week, locals and visitors can expect to hear and see the jets set off in the early and late afternoons between Monday and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the night flying component of the exercise will take place between August 3 and August 6.
A Spanish A330 aircraft is marshalled into RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
To make up for the disruption, the Australian and international aviators will put on a show on July 23, flying over Mindil Beach at sunset.
The RAAF will also open its doors to the public for its biennial open day on August 1.
Three German Eurofighters taxi into RAAF Base Darwin. (Supplied: RAAF/Maddy Butcher)
