Indian Air Force's Su-30 MKIs Set to Participate in Largest-Ever Exercise Pitch Black 2024

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force's Su-30 MKIs are gearing up for a significant trans-Pacific journey to take part in Exercise Pitch Black 2024 in Australia. This biennial multinational aerial warfare exercise is set to take place from July 12 to August 2, 2024, at airbases in Darwin and Tindal, Australia.   

The IAF contingent is eager to showcase its prowess on the multinational stage, joining the largest edition of Exercise Pitch Black to date, with participation from 20 countries worldwide. Following the exercise, the IAF will also take part in Exercise Udara Shakti 24 with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) from August 5 to 9, 2024, in Kuantan, Malaysia.  

Exercise Pitch Black, held every two years, focuses on large-force employment missions involving numerous international aircraft. The 2024 edition will be the largest in its 43-year history, bringing together over 140 aircraft from around the globe, with approximately 4,435 personnel participating.

The exercise will be conducted primarily from RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory, with additional aircraft operating from RAAF Base Amberley, near Ipswich in Queensland. It is the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) most significant flying activity for strengthening international engagement and enhancing the ability to work with overseas partners.  

Significance of Exercise Pitch Black 

Exercise Pitch Black ensures that the participating air forces are responsive whenever required by the Australian Government. It allows the IAF to contribute to the sovereign security of participating nations, ensuring their readiness to respond to contingency operations.   

For international participants, the exercise provides invaluable experience in deploying over great distances. It involves force integration with other nations and their capabilities, offering firsthand collaboration with foreign counterparts. This participation offers a unique opportunity for nations to experience Australia, from its local communities to its skies.

The exercise creates an environment for training and integration that supports international participants' training requirements and their ability to support operations in the Indo-Pacific region. On an individual level, it fosters strong relationships between aviators and personnel from across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, reinforcing regional security and fostering closer ties worldwide.  

Historical Background 

The RAAF has a long history of conducting air exercises in the Northern Territory, beginning with the High-series exercises in the 1960s and the Top-series in the early 1970s, often involving integration with the Royal Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Exercise Pitch Black was first held at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales in June 1981 as a three-day air defence exercise, with 'attacking' aircraft flying from RAAF Bases Amberley and Richmond. It was conducted again from RAAF Base Williamtown in July 1982.  

The name 'Pitch Black' is believed to be derived from the emphasis on nighttime flying over large, unpopulated areas during these early exercises, although contrary to popular belief, the exercise was not conducted on moonless nights.  

Exercise Pitch Black was first held at RAAF Base Darwin from May 9-13, 1983, remaining an air defence exercise that included RAAF Mirage III fighters and F-111C strike jets, with international participation from the United States Air Force. It was the first major RAAF exercise conducted in Darwin after Cyclone Tracy devastated the city in 1974.

Since then, Exercise Pitch Black has been conducted in the Northern Territory, with exceptions in 1986 and 2002, and has been held biennially since 1998, except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, more than 20 nations have travelled to Australia to participate in Exercise Pitch Black, along with international contingents from NATO and the Multinational MRTT Unit.