The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed its Rafale fighter jets to Australia for the first time to take part in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) premier biennial multinational air combat exercise. The exercise is being held from 20 July to 7 August 2026 across RAAF Bases Darwin, Tindal and Amberley in northern Australia.
An Indian Air Force contingent landed at RAAF Base Darwin ahead of the exercise. The Indian deployment includes four Rafale fighter aircraft, two C-17 transport aircraft and more than 120 Air Warriors, comprising pilots, engineers, technicians, air traffic controllers and other specialists.
The High Commission of India in Canberra welcomed the contingent in a post: X: “The High Commission of India is proud to welcome the Indian Air Force contingent of four Rafale and two C17 aircraft along with over 120 Air Warriors to Darwin to participate in Royal Australian Air Force’s premier air combat exercise Pitch Black 2026.”
The High Commission added that, over the next three weeks, Indian personnel would fly alongside counterparts from participating nations “towards enhancing interoperability, sharpening combat flying skills, strengthening relationships, and building everlasting bonds.”Exercise Pitch Black takes its name from its focus on night-time flying over the sparsely populated regions of northern Australia. It has been hosted in Darwin since 1983 and, in its 45th year, is regarded as one of the largest multinational air combat exercises in the Indo-Pacific.
According to Australia’s Department of Defence, up to 100 aircraft and more than 2,500 personnel from 20 nations are taking part across RAAF Bases Darwin, Tindal and Amberley. The 2026 edition marks the first participation of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-35 Lightning II and Indonesia’s T-50i Golden Eagle jets, alongside embedded personnel from Finland and Sweden.
Participating nations include the United States, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, India, Singapore, Germany, France and Spain, with embedded personnel from New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened the exercise in Darwin. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “I’m proud to officially open Exercise Pitch Black here in Darwin where it has been hosted for more than 40 years. It’s another reminder of the important role the Territory plays in Australia’s defence and our engagement with the region.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles added: “Exercise Pitch Black is one of the most complex and significant air exercises which occurs in the Indo-Pacific and this year’s iteration is once again one of the largest in its 45 year history.”
Exercise Commander Air Commodore Matthew McCormack said the drill was designed to expose aviators and international partners to complex air combat scenarios, describing it as an activity where forces “plan together, fight together and learn together through realistic and complex training scenarios”
The deployment reflects continued IAF participation in Pitch Black, following earlier editions in 2018, 2022 and 2024, and that the exercise will help validate expeditionary air operations over extended distances while improving multinational interoperability. Also, the exercise would involve complex air combat scenarios with air forces from the Indo-Pacific and Europe, and the Indian contingent’s participation reflects India’s commitment to strengthening defence partnerships and operational coordination with friendly countries.
