RAAF Bases Amberley and Williamtown are playing host to Australia's most important air combat exercise - Pitch Black 2002.

Exercise Pitch Black began on July 15 and will run until August 1, providing the perfect scenario for Air Force personnel from Australia and Singapore to hone their attack and defence combat skills.

Held every two years, Pitch Black allows the Air Force to test its air defence systems against an airborne aggressor, as well as test how well Australian and allied nations' forces operate together.
A total of 57 aircraft and more than 900 people are participating, making it the largest exercise of its type to take place in Australia.

It is intended that Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornets (No. 75 Squadron), F-111s (No. 1 and 6 Squadrons) and Hawks (No. 76 Squadron) will occupy the air space alongside F-16 fighters and RF-5 reconnaissance jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
They are being joined by C-130 Hercules, Caribous, a KC-135 tanker and an E-3C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft.

And while the aircrew battle it out in the skies, air defence personnel are working to keep them up to date with information from ground and airborne radars.

The crews also face a threat from below in the shape of surface-to-air missile batteries from the Army's 16th Air Defence Regiment.

Exercises are taking place over the ocean or in the north-west corner of New South Wales, ensuring excessive noise is not a problem.

Daily updates and live pictures of exercise Pitch Black are available on the web site www.defence.gov.au/raaf/pitchblack