Australia’s “Pitch Black” Multi-national Air Combat Exercise Shelved

The Royal Australian Air Force’s three-week multi-national exercise, Exercise Pitch Black, scheduled to take place from July, has been cancelled over COVID-19 virus fears.

The announcement to axe the RAAF’s warfare drills was made on April 14. The exercise was to be conducted in the Northern Territory between July 24 and August 14. The decision was taken owing to the ongoing travel and other restrictions amid COVID-19 pandemic.

“To ensure compliance with COVID-19-related Government restrictions and to protect our personnel, their families and the community, Exercise Pitch Black will not be conducted in 2020. Defence is fully committed to adhering to the public health guidelines to minimise transmission of COVID-19 and is directly engaged with public health authorities to ensure we are taking measures to reduce transmission as early as possible,” the RAAF said in a statement Wednesday.

The drills are conducted primarily from RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal. RAAF Base Amberley was to be included in the exercise this year.

Japan was to take part in Exercise Pitch Black for the first time. More than 3000 Australian and international personnel along with 120 aircraft were expected to be involved in the warfare drills which aims to provide Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat practice in a simulated war environment. It traditionally consists of a 'red team' and a 'blue team' based at separate locations, with one attacking the other.

“Exercise Pitch Black features a range of realistic, simulated threats which can be found in a modern battle-space environment and is an opportunity to test and improve our force integration, utilising one of the largest training airspace areas in the world — Bradshaw Field Training Area and Delamere Air Weapons Range,” according to the RAAF.

In its last edition, Air Forces from the US, France, Germany, India, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Philippines and Indonesia had conducted coordinated missions and flew a total of up to 80 aircraft simultaneously. Over 1,120 missions were performed during the exercise.