Above left to
right: JAS 39C/D
Gripens from
the Royal Thai
Air Force’s 701
Squadron taxi
out of their
shelters for
an afternoon
mission.
Roy Choo
An Indonesian
Air Force
Skadron 3 F-16C
taxiing out for
launch at RAAF
Base Darwin
during the
morning wave of
departures.
Roy Choo
In markings
commemorating
20 years of
service by the
Royal Malaysian
Air Force’s
fl eet of F/A-18D
Hornets, serial
M45-01 returns
to Darwin from
a ‘Pitch Black’
sortie. Roy Choo
Right: An EA-18G
Growler crew
walks to an
awaiting jet on
the ground at
RAAFB Darwin.
Commonwealth
of Australia
the outback. Scenarios own in this
unrestricted airspace included escorting
high-value asset aircraft, in ltrating into
and ex ltrating from landing strips, while
having to counter aggressors, ground-
based air defense units and other surface
targets. Many of these events saw the
participation of more than 80 fast jets
and other supporting aircraft.
The RAAF used ‘Pitch Black’ to
validate in an international large force
environment the capabilities of its
latest platforms — the EA-18G Growler
and C-27J Spartan. The Growlers of No
6 Squadron performed the airborne
electronic attack (AEA) mission to
identify, deceive and deny threats in the
electromagnetic spectrum in support
of strike packages, a role that could
only be simulated in past exercises. The
Spartans of No 35 Squadron provided the
battle eld airlift capability by supporting
scenarios that involved the capture, set-
up and sustainment of an austere air eld.Notably, ‘Pitch Black 2018’ saw the
inaugural participation of the US Marine
Corps’ Marine Rotational Force —
Darwin since its rst annual six-month
rotation in 2012. Eight MV-22 Ospreys
from VMM-268, which formed the
detachment’s air combat element (ACE),
took part in support of special forces.
Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Steve Roberton,
air commander Australia, underscored
the signi cance of the exercise. ‘The
unmatched training airspace, the ideal
weather and the great hospitality of the
Northern Territorians, provide ‘Pitch
Black’ with a level of realism that you
just can’t replicate easily anywhere in
the world. As we evolve into a fth-
generation air force, we bring along
the complex and new-generation
technology, the skilled personnel and the
capacity to train in the exercise. I suspect
‘Pitch Black’ will become more important,
not just for Australia but also for our
international partners.’http://www.combataircraft.net // December 2018 17