Exercise Pitch Black 2026

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) premier multinational air combat exercise, scheduled to be held in Australia’s Northern Territory from July 20 to August 7, 2026.

Key Points

The name ‘Pitch Black’ was derived from the emphasis on night time flying over large un-populated areas.

Military personnel from India, the US, Japan, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, Finland, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the UK would also be participating.

Held every two years, the exercise ‘Pitch Black’ focuses on large force employment missions involving large numbers of international aircraft.

Exercise Pitch Black provides an environment for training and integration that directly supports international participants training requirements, and their ability to support operations in the Indo-Pacific.

The exercise provides an excellent opportunity for strengthening the ability of the participating nations to deploy over large distances, support integrated operations in the Indo-Pacific region and building strong aviation associations in a highly challenging environment.

The IAF has previously participated in the 2018, 2022 and 2024 editions of this exercise.

CLICK HERE: UPSC PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED MONTHLY TEST SERIES PDF

CLICK HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ (FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS)