Tuesday, June 03, 2008 EXERCISE PITCH BLACK 2008 GEARS UP NORTHERN TERRITORY FOR AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT By FlyingNews @ 5:33 PM :: 277 Views :: 0 Comments :: Military Aviation, Flying Events Final preparations have begun for the most complex air combat training scenarios above the skies of the Northern Territory. From 6-27 June, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will host an array of international Air Force participants in Exercise Pitch Black 08. Pitch Black is a regular RAAF exercise held every two years in the Northern Territory. Up to 3000 service men and women from Australia and countries including the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and France will support the exercise, with ground crews and aircrews operating some of the most sophisticated military systems employed in the world. An additional 60 aircraft from the RAAF and participating Forces will deploy to RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine. Fighter, strike, early warning, air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft will combine with selected surface forces and systems to simulate and evaluate operational planning and tactics in war-like conditions. You can read the entire article here.