Photo By Tech. Sgt. Jimmie Pike | The Honorable Eva Lawler, Chief Minister for the Australian Northern Territory, speaks...... read more read more
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Exercise Pitch Black 2024, the largest iteration of the Royal Australian Air Force's premiere biennial flying exercise, officially opened on July 12 in Darwin, Australia during a ceremony held at the Darwin Convention Center attended by service members from multiple countries.
RAAF and Australian leaders provided remarks regarding the growth of the exercise and the intent of participants to learn from this opportunity.
“Pitch Black 24 will be the largest in the exercise’s 43 year history and brings together 20 participating nations, more than 140 aircraft from around the world, and over 4000 personnel,” said Eva Lawler, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (Australia). “The territory’s landscape and clear airspace offer an ideal environment for rigorous training exercises that prepare service members to face the challenges of modern warfare.”
Aside from the size, one other significant aspect about this year’s exercise is the inclusion of six new countries’ participation: Philippines, Spain, Italy, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Brunei.
“We have brought like-minded nations that will come together and exercise together,” said RAAF Air Commodore Peter Robinson, Officer Commanding Exercise. “We build capabilities together, we build friendships together, we build relationships together and we leave the exercise much stronger as partners.”
Though Pitch Black is an Australian-led exercise, the U.S. Air Force has been a participating member since 1983 and recognizes the unique opportunity to work with such a large group of foreign militaries to include a European presence in the Indo-Pacific making Pitch Black a world-wide experience.
“Pitch Black is a great opportunity for us to exercise closely with our Allies and partners to bolster our combined and joint capabilities,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Nickell, USAF Pitch Black Detachment Commander. “True integration takes understanding and trust. This is our opportunity to learn from each other and contribute to stability in the region through longstanding partnerships.”
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.15.2024 01:41 |
| Story ID: | 476161 |
| Location: | DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AU |
| Web Views: | 529 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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