IAF to participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia from July 20 to August 7
The Indian Air Force will join 19 other nations for Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia, a major multinational air combat training event. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and regional stability through complex combat scenarios.
Why it matters
Multinational military exercises are critical for strengthening defense alliances and maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in Australia’s premier multinational air combat exercise, Exercise Pitch Black 2026, scheduled to be held across northern Australia from July 20 to August 7, alongside air forces from 19 other nations.
Hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the exercise will involve up to 100 fighter and support aircraft and more than 2,500 military personnel operating from Darwin, Tindal and Amberley bases. First conducted in 1983, Exercise Pitch Black is one of the Indo-Pacific region’s largest and most complex air combat training events.
The RAAF, in a statement, said that this year’s edition will bring together aircraft from the United States, Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore, France, Germany, Spain, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Military personnel from New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden will also participate in embedded roles.
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