Indian Air Force joins Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia

From 20 July to 7 August 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force will host Exercise Pitch Black, its biennial multinational air‑combat drill, at bases in Darwin, Tindal and Amberley. The exercise will involve roughly 100 aircraft and about 2,500 personnel from more than 20 nations, including the United States, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, France and Spain.

India is sending a sizeable contingent: Rafale multirole fighters supported by C‑17 Globemaster transport jets and IL‑78 aerial refuelling aircraft, along with pilots, engineers and technicians. The IAF said the drill “provides an excellent opportunity to validate expeditionary air operations over extended distances, enhance multinational interoperability and strengthen professional partnerships across the Indo‑Pacific region.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese affirmed, “Australia is strongest when we work closely with our partners,” underscoring the event’s role in regional security and defence cooperation.