Indian Air Force all geared up to participate in largest training drill Exercise Pitch Black 2018

NewsBharati    23-Jan-2018
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Canberra, January 23: Our brave Indian Army is all set to participate in largest training drill Exercise Pitch Black in Australia. Australia Defense Minister Christopher Pyne said that the exercise which is dubbed as the largest Air Force training exercise in the southern hemisphere is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The exercise takes place in New South Wales’ Glenbrook region, at the Australian Air Force base in a simulated environment.


The aim of the exercise is to practice offensive counter air (OCA) and defensive counter air (DCA) combat in a simulated environment which usually takes place at the Australian Air Force base at Glenbrook in New South Wales. In 2016, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the US had participated in the air exercise.

The exercise which takes places every two years was started in 1981 for various RAAF units. Defense Minister Pyne also spoke of the strategic engagements between India and Australia which includes the AUSINDEX from 2015. He added that the AUSINDEX will be repeated every two years. The Exercise Pitch Black has been scheduled to take place in the coming July and August.

In 1990, Australia and Singapore took part in the exercise together and it was later expanded to include other countries.

The Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the first joint tri-services military exercise with Russia in the eastern military district of Russia last year in October.The Indian contingent containing 350 officers from the army, 80 from the Air Force including two IL 76 aircraft and one frigate and corvette took part in the military drill.

The exercise was meant to improve the "interoperability" between the two forces, vital in joint military and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.