Ex Pitch Black 2026: RAF Voyager hits Aussie skies for high‑octane air power workout
On a picture-perfect day in Darwin, Australia, more than 14,000 kilometres from the UK, the sun is shining, the temperature is a warm 28 degrees and aircraft from 21 nations are zooming overhead for the start of Exercise Pitch Black 2026.
Running until 7 August, Pitch Black will bring together more than 100 aircraft for three weeks of demanding, complex, multinational combat air flying and training across one of the world's largest military training environments.
Royal Air Force personnel have travelled across continents and oceans to take part in the exercise described by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as its "biennial capstone, international engagement exercise", designed to prepare those involved for working together in the future if need be.
Former BFBS Forces Radio presenter, now RAF Media And Communications Officer, Squadron Leader Amy Casey is there and spoke with Kam Kelly from the UK national breakfast show.
"The objective of doing this is so that should we ever find ourselves in a position where it's not an exercise, we've worked together, we know how to collaborate and we are the best that we can be," she said.
While the impressive aircraft taking part might grab the headlines, the exercise is just as much about the people, teamwork and partnerships.
Sqn Ldr Casey said: "This is the big one, one of the exercises that the Royal Australian Air Force, is really proud to host.
"There's up to a hundred aircraft... and around 2,500 serving personnel and it's really exciting for the Royal Air Force to be here.
"We've got our workhorse, the backbone of UK operations and exercise – The Voyager is going to be participating in this event.
"We've got a huge contingency of our people that are here for this particular exercise [such as] chefs in the kitchen, refuel is out on the pan, all of our enabling forces."
Deploying from the United Kingdom, personnel travelled across the globe via Alaska and Guam before arriving at RAAF Amberley in Queensland.
From there, the force continued north-west to RAAF Base Darwin, covering almost 2,850 kilometres across Australia.
The journey from Amberley to Darwin is the equivalent of driving from London to Glasgow more than four times.
It is a reminder of the scale of Australia and the vast distances involved in bringing people, equipment and aircraft together to generate and sustain air power across the Indo-Pacific region.
The exercise will see those taking part split into two teams – the antagonist reds and the ally blues.
Every element of the exercise needs to be as close to reality as possible, so no-one taking part will know what the plan is until just before go time.
Sqn Ldr Casey said: "[The details are] kept really, really close hold.
"It's important that it is run in that way so that the teams, when they get the information, it's fresh, accurate and they're receiving it for the first time."
Throughout the exercise, RAF personnel will work alongside allies and partner nations, sharing expertise, learning from one another, sharpening skills and strengthening the relationships that make international cooperation possible.
That collaboration happens everywhere: in planning cells, engineering facilities, logistics hubs, operations rooms and out on the flight line.
Working together effectively is not simply about flying in the same airspace; it is about people building trust, understanding different ways of working and solving challenges as a team.
Exercise Pitch Black is an opportunity for partner nations to deepen relationships, develop skills and build the trust to be agile, integrated and ready.
The military personnel taking part are from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the UK and the US.
Join Our Newsletter
