New Delhi: Exercise Pitch Black 2026 started on Monday at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Darwin in Australia, with the Indian Air Force taking part for the first time with its Rafale fighter jets. The Indian contingent includes four Rafale jets, two C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft and more than 120 airmen, comprising pilots, engineers, technicians and other specialists.
The high commission of India in Canberra announced the contingent’s arrival in a post on social media. An Il-78 aerial refuelling aircraft is also supporting the deployment.
The exercise will run until August 7, held across RAAF Bases Darwin, Tindal and Amberley in Australia’s Northern Territory. Up to 100 aircraft and more than 2,500 personnel from about 19 partner nations are expected to take part, according to Australian defence officials.
Participating countries include India, the US, Japan, France, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Canada, along with several other Indo-Pacific and European nations.
Pitch Black takes its name from its traditional focus on night-time flying. The exercise uses the vast, sparsely populated airspace of northern Australia for this purpose.
First held in 1981, the exercise has run for 45 years. This edition is being described by organizers as one of its largest yet.
During the exercise, participating forces will carry out large force employment missions. These are complex simulated combat scenarios in which multiple aircraft take on different roles at the same time. Some fighters fly offensive missions, others defend airspace, while tanker aircraft refuel jets mid-flight and command units coordinate the wider operation.
This marks the first time the IAF’s Rafale jets have taken part in Pitch Black. Aircraft used in earlier editions were Su-30 MKI fighters. The IAF has previously participated in the exercise in 2018, 2022 and 2024.
The Indian high commission said the exercise would help strengthen interoperability and sharpen combat flying skills. It said the deployment would also help build long-term partnerships with participating air forces.
Japan is taking part with its F-35 Lightning II jets. Indonesia is bringing its T-50i Golden Eagle aircraft for the first time.
The exercise also complements other India-Australia defence exercises. These include Austra Hind for the two countries’ armies and Ausindex for their navies, alongside the broader Exercise Malabar involving India, Australia, the US and Japan.
Public events during the exercise period include a flypast over Mindil Beach on July 23 and a RAAF Darwin open day on August 1.