The Indian Air Force (IAF) will start multinational exercise hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from today. The exercise Pitch Black-2018 will feature Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globe master-III.
This is for the first time that the Indian Air Force is participating in this international Air Force exercise. The Indian Air Force contingent is led by Group Captain CUV Rao, which consists of 145 air-warriors including a team of the Garud commandos.
Exercise Pitch Black 2018 is starting on 24th July and the exercise will go on till 18th August 2018.
It is also a biennial multinational large air force employment exercise, which is conducted from RAAF bases in Darwin and Tindal. The participation of the Indian Air Force in such multinational air exercise assumes strategic importance in view of its continued engagement with friendly foreign countries, in which they get acquainted with each other’s traits and for the last 10 years the Indian Air Force has been participating in such operational exercises, which are hosted by various countries across the world, where collaborative engagements are undertaken with the best air forces in the world.
During the Exercise Pitch Black in Australia, Indian Air Force contingent will also get the opportunity to engage in constructive exercise with their Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts. On the return journey to India after the exercise, the Su-30 MKI will be refueled in the air for the first time by RAAF KC-30A.
