Big Skies

Pitch Black 2014, the RAAF’s major multinational air combat exercise, brought together a diversity of nations and aircraft to use the Top End’s vast training ranges

Pitch Black 2014 saw seven nations deploy 2,300 personnel and up to 110 combat and support aircraft – from Thai Gripens and UAE Mirages to Singaporean F-15s – to participate in the RAAF’s major biennial air combat exercise.

Held in the Northern Territory’s ‘Top End’ from August 1 to 22, participating aircraft were based at RAAF Darwin, or at RAAF Tindal near Katherine, 300km to the south-east of Darwin. Most of the air combat action took place over the vast Delamere Air Weapons Range south-west of Tindal and the Bradshaw Field Training Area to the west, collectively regarded as some of the best military airspace in the world.