Nineteen partner nations have received a warm welcome in the Top End from the Commander of Exercise Pitch Black 26 to mark the start of Air Force’s capstone biennial international exercise. 

On July 16, Air Commodore Matthew McCormack joined detachment commanders from all nations to launch three weeks of demanding, high-end air combat training designed to enhance warfighting capability, strengthen coalition relationships and reinforce regional security. 

Held from July 20 to August 7, Exercise Pitch Black provides Australia and its allies with a realistic and challenging environment in which to develop the skills, tactics and relationships needed to operate effectively in complex and contested battlespaces. 

The arrival of 100 aircraft and 2500 personnel from around the world have transformed RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal into hubs of multinational military activity. 

Aircrew, planners and support personnel are preparing for increasingly complex combat scenarios designed to test operational readiness under realistic conditions.

Air Commodore McCormack said Pitch Black underscored Australia’s commitment to maintaining a ready and capable air force while strengthening defence partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

“The main purpose of Exercise Pitch Black is to expose our aviators, and our international partners, to complex air combat scenarios,” Air Commodore McCormack said.

“At its core, Pitch Black is a war fighter-focused exercise and participants will conduct large-force employment missions that integrate fighter aircraft, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, air mobility assets and command-and-control elements in scenarios that replicate the demands of contemporary military operations.” 

'It allows us to work together in peacetime so that, if required, we can operate effectively together in combat.'

He said the training was designed to sharpen decision-making, improve tactical proficiency and ensure forces could operate effectively in highly contested environments.

The Northern Territory is home to one of the world’s largest military training areas. The region also provides vast, unconstrained airspace where participants can conduct complex operations on a scale that few other training environments can support.

“Some of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft require vast amounts of airspace to operate at their full potential, and that’s exactly what is provided here at Pitch Black,” Air Commodore McCormack said.

“Having 19 partner nations here is an excellent opportunity to better understand how other nations operate. It allows us to work together in peacetime so that, if required, we can operate effectively together in combat.”

The exercise provides critical training to build interoperability, refine common procedures and develop a shared understanding of operational concepts among participating nations.

These relationships extend well beyond the flightline by bringing together aircrew, mission planners, engineers and support personnel from around the world to build the professional trust and familiarity that underpin successful coalition operations. 

By combining high-intensity warfighting training with unparalleled opportunities for multinational collaboration, Exercise Pitch Black 2026 is helping ensure participating air forces remain ready and prepared to respond together whenever and wherever security challenges emerge.