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Personnel participating in the "Pitch Black 2026" exercise and their sending-off families pose for a commemorative photo in front of a KC-330 multi-role tanker transport during a send-off ceremony held at the Seosan Air Base on July 14. / Photo courtesy of Republic of Korea Air Force

The Republic of Korea Air Force will participate in the multinational joint aerial exercise "Pitch Black 2026," held at Darwin Air Force Base in Australia from July 17 to August 7.

The Air Force announced on July 14 that mission personnel participating in the exercise departed for Darwin Air Force Base aboard a KC-330 multi-role tanker transport.

Hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force since 1981, Pitch Black is a multinational joint aerial exercise aimed at enhancing regional security and improving joint operational capabilities among friendly nations. The South Korean Air Force is participating for the third time this year, after first dispatching KF-16 fighters in 2022.

This year's exercise will feature over 110 aircraft from 16 nations, including F-35As from the U.S., Japan, and Australia, Rafales from India, and Typhoons from Spain and Germany. The Indonesian Air Force's T-50i and the Philippine Air Force's FA-50PH, which share the same lineage as South Korea's homegrown FA-50, will also take part.

The South Korean Air Force is dispatching six KF-16 fighters from the 20th Fighter Wing and the 38th Fighter Group, along with over 100 personnel, to conduct joint aerial operations. Three KC-330 tankers and three C-130 transport aircraft will support the deployment of the fighters, personnel, and materials to the local base.

One KC-330 carrying mission personnel departed first on July 14, and the KF-16 formation is scheduled to take off from Seosan Air Base on July 15. The KF-16 formation will be refueled in mid-air by two KC-330s as they fly approximately 5,900 kilometers for 7 hours and 30 minutes, deploying to Darwin Air Force Base without any intermediate stops. Upon arrival, the training contingent will undergo a local adaptation period before embarking on two weeks of intensive training.

"This exercise is an excellent opportunity to enhance our joint operational capabilities and interoperability alongside the air forces of various nations," said Colonel Ha Jung-mi, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing's Operations Group. "With a sense of pride and responsibility as representatives of South Korea, we will fully demonstrate the skills and expertise we have honed over the years."

                                                                                                             Lee Han-sol