The skies over Australia’s northern coastline were yesterday filled with air force pilot top guns from 16 nations in one of the Asia-Pacific’s largest air force training exercises.
The northern city of Darwin is hosting 4,000 personnel and 140 aircraft over the next three weeks as air forces from around the world take part in Exercise Pitch Black.
The training includes night flying and aerial refueling, offering various nations a chance to learn from each other and improve their force integration by using one of the largest training airspaces in the world.
Photo: Reuters
The Pitch Black exercise, which is held every two years, began in 1990 between Australia and Singapore, and features a range of realistic, simulated threats that can be found in a modern battle-space environment, the Royal Australian Air Force said in a statement on its Web site.
“Activities such as Exercise Pitch Black recognize the strong relationship Australia has with its participant nations and the high value it places on regional security and fostering closer ties throughout the Asia Pacific region,” it said.
The air forces are from the US, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia.
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