Indian Air Force Joins Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Canberra has announced.

The exercise will be held in Australia’s Northern Territory from 20 July to 7 August, bringing together over 100 aircraft and thousands of personnel from 20 nations.

The three‑week drill featured complex, combat‑like scenarios, with a particular emphasis on night‑time flying over vast, unpopulated terrain, it is conducted across one of the world’s largest training areas.

Apart from India and the host Australia, participating nations included Brunei, Canada, Fiji, Finland, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States.

The exercise also offered the Northern Territory community a chance to see aircraft displays and interact with personnel from across the Indo‑Pacific and beyond.

Pitch Black also provided a training environment tailored to international participants’ needs, directly supporting their operational requirements in the Indo‑Pacific.

The exercise built on Australia’s long tradition of hosting multinational air drills in the Northern Territory, dating back to the High‑series in the 1960s and Top‑series in the 1970s.

First held in 1981 at RAAF Base Williamtown, Pitch Black has since evolved into a premier multinational exercise, its name reflecting the emphasis on night‑time flying that continues to define its character.

Air Marshal Radhakrishnan Radhish (retired), former AOC-in-C Training Command and who was also instrumental in initiating many of the present exchanges and exercises when he was in-charge of defence cooperation states, "There are may advantages of taking part in exercises with other nations, they improve cooperation, help exchange best practices and give exposure to our air and ground crew. Exercises also give us a first hand experience of the equipment other countries use, this helps us develop or improve our own systems domestically. "

Air Commodore Matt McCormack of the RAAF, the Exercise Commander, has highlighted that Pitch Black strengthened relationships through air combat integration in demanding scenarios.

The exercise focused on large force employment missions, testing the ability of multiple air forces to operate together effectively.

It ensured the RAAF remained responsive to government requirements while contributing to the sovereign security of partner nations, enhancing collective readiness for contingency operations, according to him.

The IAF had participated in the 2024, 2022 and 2018 editions of the aerial wargames.

In the 2024 edition of the exercise the IAF contingent operated from the RAAF Base Darwin.

India deployed Su-30 MKI multirole fighters, a C-17 Globemaster, and an IL-78 air-to-air refuelling aircraft, all of which performed combat-enabling roles during the exercise.

These assets allowed the IAF to demonstrate its operational reach and capability to integrate with other advanced air forces in complex scenarios.

The IAF deployed Su-30 MKI multirole fighters, a C-17 Globemaster and an IL-78 air-to-air refuelling aircraft, all of which performed combat-enabling roles during the exercise.

That edition of the exercise featured 4,400 service personnel from 20 nations.