RSAF Sharpens Combat Readiness at Multinational Exercise Pitch Black in Australia

The RSAF deployed eight F-16 fighter aircraft to Exercise Pitch Black, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force in Darwin, Australia.

Air Force Engineers loading munitions onto the F-16 fighter aircraft ahead of their night training mission.

Personnel conducting pre-flight checks on the G550 Airborne Early Warning aircraft that provides persistent ability to detect, identify and track aerial targets.

For this year's exercise, the RSAF deployed eight F-16 fighter aircraft, one G550 Airborne Early Warning aircraft, and over 200 personnel.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is participating in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, a large-scale multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in Darwin, Australia from 20 July to 7 August 2026. This edition of the exercise sees the participation of more than 2,500 personnel and up to 100 aircraft from 21 participating nations^[1].

Conducted biennially, the exercise provides participating air forces with valuable opportunities to train in challenging and realistic scenarios to hone their operational competencies. Participants will employ advanced tactics and electronic warfare against simulated adversarial forces in day and night environments across a broad range of missions, including air-to-air combat and air-to-ground strikes. In addition, the exercise participants will take part in community engagement programmes with the local communities in Darwin.

A regular participant of Exercise Pitch Black since 1990, the RSAF has deployed eight F-16 fighter aircraft, one G550 Airborne Early Warning aircraft, and over 200 personnel to this year's exercise. Highlighting the value of the exercise, RSAF Exercise Director Colonel Benjamin Fu said, “Training with a diverse group of air forces allows our personnel to operate across a range of complex, large-scale scenarios that sharpen our readiness and operational effectiveness in ways that cannot be fully replicated at home. Training alongside fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35s also deepens our understanding of emerging operational concepts and better prepares our personnel for the evolving demands of future air operations. Beyond the operational value, the exercise reinforces the close and longstanding defence relations between the RSAF and RAAF, and we are grateful to the RAAF for their steadfast support over the years.”

First held in 1981, the exercise seeks to enhance professionalism and coordination among participating air forces, while fostering close rapport and mutual understanding among the service personnel. Apart from Exercise Pitch Black, the RSAF and RAAF interact regularly through professional exchanges, cross-attendance of courses, and the conduct of bilateral and multilateral training exercises.

^[1] The 21 participating nations are Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Fiji, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States of America.