Fighter pilots from around the world are set to hone their flying and combat skills in high-tech war games at the Top End.
The fast-jet season has blasted off in the Northern Territory ahead of the Royal Australian Air Force’s premier international air combat event - Exercise Pitch Black.
A series of air force exercises will be held during the NT's dry season from late May to September, culminating in the Pitch Black operation involving pilots and aircraft from up to 20 nations.
The Top End's vastness makes it a world-class training environment for air crews to practise complex high-end flying and combat, and to enhance the ability of numerous air forces to work together.
"The training is really critical to ensure our aviators have the skills and the training for really complex high-end war fighting with air combat platforms," Wing Commander Rowan Paice said at RAAF Darwin on Monday.
The jets and their support aircraft will operate from RAAF Darwin and RAAF Tindal near Katherine, meaning increased noise in the skies for communities under the flight paths.
Support from those communities was critical so RAAF aviators received the training they needed to perform their roles safely and effectively, Wing Commander Paice said.
Anticipated peaks in aircraft noise would be posted on the air force website along with social media posts so community members could track high-noise periods, he said, noting there were always complaints.
In the midst of an international fuel supply crisis, the Australian Defence Force was carefully managing its aviation fuel, had reliable resupply agreements and maintained contingency reserves, Wing Commander Paice said.
In a give-back to the community, the RAAF and visiting air force crews will take part in fly pasts of Darwin's Mindil Beach on July 23 that are set to draw crowds.
On August 1, the air force will also host an open day at RAAF Darwin, allowing the public to see aircraft up close and talk to aviators.
The biennial Pitch Black event is considered one of the largest tactical air operations in the world.
The last event in 2024 featured 4500 troops from 20 countries, with six nations participating for the first time.
An Italian warplane taking part in Exercise Pitch Black in 2024 crashed near the Daly River but no fatalities were reported.
