https://aviationweek.com/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg
Skip to main content
  • Market Sector
    • Aerospace
    • Air Transport
    • MRO
    • Defense and Space
    • Business Aviation
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Connected Aerospace
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
      • Advanced Air Mobility
      • Commercial Space
      • Sustainability
    • Air Transport
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports & Networks
      • Airlines & Lessors
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
    • MRO
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Supply Chain
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Workforce & Training
      • Sustainability
    • Defense and Space
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Sensors & Electronic Warfare
      • Missile Defense & Weapons
      • Supply Chain
      • Budget, Policy & Operations
      • Space
      • Sustainability
    • Business Aviation
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports, FBOs & Suppliers
      • Flight Deck
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
  • Marketplace
  • Services
    • Services
      • Advertising
      • Marketing Services
      • Fleet, Data & APIs
      • Research & Consulting
      • Network and Route Planning
      • Marketplace
  • Store
    • Market Sector

      • Aerospace
      • Air Transport
      • MRO
      • Defense and Space
      • Business Aviation
    • Type View All Products
      • Intelligence Bundles
        • AWIN - Premium
        • AWIN - Aerospace and Defense
        • AWIN - Business Aviation
        • AWIN - Commercial Aviation
      • Market Briefings
        • Advanced Air Mobility Report - NEW!
        • Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
        • Aviation Daily
        • SpeedNews
        • The Weekly of Business Aviation
      • Directories
        • Air Charter Guide
        • Aviation Week Marketplace
        • Route Exchange
        • The Engine Yearbook
      • Data Services
        • AC-U-KWIK
        • Aircraft Bluebook
        • Airportdata.com
        • Airport Strategy and Marketing (ASM)
        • CAPA – Centre for Aviation
        • Fleet Discovery Civil
        • Fleet Discovery Military
        • Fleet & MRO Forecast
        • MRO Prospector
      • Publications
        • Air Transport World
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO
        • Business & Commercial Aviation
        • CAPA - Airline Leader
        • Routes magazine
        • ShowNews
      • Resources
        • Downloadable Reports
  • Events
    • Recent webinars
    • Events View All Events
      • MRO
        • MRO Americas
        • MRO Asia
        • MRO Australasia
        • MRO Baltics & Eastern Europe Region
        • MRO Europe
        • MRO Latin America
        • MRO Middle East
        • Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium (MALMS)
        • Asia Aerospace Leadership Forum & MRO Asia-Pacific Awards
      • Commercial Aviation/A&D
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions
        • A&D Programs
        • A&D Manufacturing
        • A&D Raw Materials
        • A&D SupplyChain
        • A&D SupplyChain Europe
        • Advanced Air Mobility
        • Aero-Engines Americas
        • Aero-Engines Europe
        • Aero-Engines Asia-Pacific
        • Digital Transformation Summit
        • Engine Leasing Trading & Finance Europe
        • Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance Americas
      • Air Transport
        • Routes Americas
        • Routes Europe
        • Routes World
        • ATW Airline Awards
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit
        • CAPA Americas Aviation Summit
        • CAPA Latin America Aviation Summit
        • CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit
        • CAPA Asia Aviation Summit & Sustainability Awards
        • CAPA World Aviation Outlook Summit
        • GAD Americas
        • GAD World
      • Aerospace and Defense
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions Conference (ADMA)
        • A&D Manufacturing Conference
        • Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (RMC)
        • A&D Programs
      • Awards
        • Aviation Week 20 Twenties
        • Aviation Week Laureate Awards
        • Program Excellence Awards and Banquet
        • CAPA Asia Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence
  • About
    • About Aviation Week Network
      • Our Story
      • Content and Data Team
      • Aviation Week & Space Technology 100-Year
    • Contact Us
      • Subscriber Services
      • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
      • Content Sales
      • Events
      • PR & Communications
      • Content Licensing and Reprints
      • FAQ
  • Log In
  • Register
  • My Account
    • Profile
    • Sign Out
  • AWIN Access
  • My cart
    Back to
  1. Defense and Space
  2. Defense Aircraft & Propulsion

Share

Australia’s Pitch Black Air Exercise Grows

Chen Chuanren September 07, 2022
RAAF Boeing E-7A Wedgetail No.2 Sqdn.
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

A composite crew of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and U.S. Air Force air battle managers were part of the RAAF Boeing E-7A Wedgetail No. 2 Sqdn.

RAAF EA-18G Growlers and Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

RAAF EA-18G Growlers approached an Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) for air-to-air refueling.

Lockheed Martin F-35A
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

An Australian Lockheed Martin F-35A prepared for tanking with an Airbus A330 MRTT.

Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16D+ Block 52 fighters
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

A pair of Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16D+ Block 52 fighters carried the Raytheon Enhanced Paveway II laser-guided bomb.

Dassault Rafale
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

The French Air and Space Force deployed three Dassault Rafales for the exercise, which included a hop to its Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

Singaporean Boeing F-15SG
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

A Singaporean Boeing F-15SG flew in the afternoon.

Eurofighter Typhoon

The German Air Force deployed to Exercise Pitch Black for the first time, bringing its colorful Eurofighter Typhoon.

Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKIs of 20 Sqdn. participated in Exercise Pitch Black for the second time.

Mitsubishi F-2
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force sent five Mitsubishi F-2s to Australia.

Airbus A330 MRTT
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

Singapore is one of six countries to send its Airbus A330 MRTTs to Pitch Black.

Singaporean Gulfstream G550 AEW
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

A Singaporean Gulfstream G550 AEW (airborne early warning) aircraft departed, with Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighters in the background.

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighters flew from RAAF Tindal, located about 325 km (200 mi.) southeast of Darwin.

16 Singaporean fighters
Credit: Chen Chuanren/AW&ST

Exercise Pitch Black is known for its night missions. The Sun sets along a line of 16 Singaporean fighters.

Previous
Next

Pitch Black is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest tactical air exercise, held in Darwin, Australia, on the nation’s northern edge. After a hiatus of four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pitch Black returned this year larger than ever, with 16 countries and around 100 aircraft included. New participants included Germany, Japan and South Korea, along with regular attendees Indonesia, Singapore and the U.S.

Chen Chuanren

Chen Chuanren is the Southeast Asia and China Editor for the Aviation Week Network’s (AWN) Air Transport World (ATW) and the Asia-Pacific Defense Correspondent for AWN, joining the team in 2017.

Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Monitor the market and connect your business to the people, programs and proprietary data driving the Aerospace & Defense market - only available with AWIN.

ASD_AWIN_thumbnail_270

Stay Connected.
Stay Informed
Grow Your Business.

Learn How

Follow us on

Markets

  • Aerospace
  • Air Transport
  • MRO
  • Defense and Space
  • Business Aviation

Products

  • AWIN Intelligence Bundles
  • Market Briefings
  • Publications
  • Data Services
  • Directories
  • Resources

Contact Us

  • Subscriber Services
  • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
  • Content Sales
  • Events
  • PR & Communications
  • Content Licensing and Reprints
  • FAQ

Other Resources

  • Aviation Week Marketplace
  • Knowledge Center
  • Newsletters
  • ShowNews
  • Advertising - Media Kits
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Apple app store ID
6447645195
Apple app name
apple-itunes-app
App argument URL
https://shownews.aviationweek.com