Exercise Pitch Black

July 10, 2024

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will start “Exercise Pitch Black” on July 12, 2024. This is a major multinational aerial warfare practice that is held in Australia every two years. Over 140 planes from around the world are taking part in this year’s drill, which is the biggest one in the 43-year history of the event. The India Air Force (IAF) has said it will take part in the drill, which will run from July 12 to August 2, 2024, sending Su-30 MKI fighter jets.

Overview of Exercise Pitch Black

Exercise Pitch Black is a big international military event meant to make involved countries more ready for battle and strengthen ties between them. It began in 1981 and is now seen as the most important flying exercise for the RAAF. Since it began, the drill has grown in size and difficulty, with a focus on defensive counter-air, offensive counter-air, and strategic air operations.

India’s Participation

India will participate in this event, and its IAF troops will work from important Northern Territory RAAF sites, such as Darwin and Tindal. The IAF wants to show off its space skills and work together with other international air forces more. After this, the IAF will also take part in “Ex Udara Shakti 24” with the Royal Malaysian Air Force. This shows that India is even more dedicated to building strong military ties in the area.

Strategic Importance

Exercise Pitch Black is very important for improving the tactical skills of the air forces that take part because it uses realistic training situations that are very hard to pass. It gives air forces a place to share what they know, help each other learn, and come up with a unified way to deal with security issues. The unprecedented size of the 202VOKE edition shows how important it is becoming as a foundation for stability and security cooperation in the area.

About Su-30 MKI

The Su-30 MKI is a version of the Sukhoi Su-30 that was specially made for the Indian Air Force. It has modern Israeli electronics as well as French and Indian systems. It has thrust-vectoring motors and canards that make it easier to turn. It’s also interesting that it has a special glass cockpit that makes flying much easier. Radar-absorbent material lowers the MKI’s Radar Cross Section (RCS), which makes it more likely to survive. It is a powerful platform for pinpoint strikes because it can carry the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. India’s HAL makes the plane under license, showing a good example of how India and Russia can work together in military flight. By 2005, the first Su-30 MKI unit was fully up and running.

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