IAF team heads back from Australia as Exercise Pitch Black concludes

Exercise Pitch Black 2018, which was being conducted in Australia`s Darwin, was scheduled from July 24 to August 18, 2018.

New Delhi: As the flying operations for Exercise Pitch Black 2018 came to an end on Saturday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) team commenced preparations for de-induction. The IAF contingent is, currently, heading back to India, staging through Malaysia.

The IAF, meanwhile, released a video of the Pitch Black 2018 exercise. It tweeted saying, "# ExPitchBlack18: Making History... During the Ex. A team of IAF PJI's, Special Forces 'GARUDS' along with RAAF special forces, undertook Combat Free Fall from C-27J Spartan Aircraft. It's the first time that 'Team IAF' jumped in the Southern Hemisphere from a Foreign Aircraft."

In another tweet, the IAF said, "Indian Air Force is all packed and ready to board the jets to head for the next destination, Malaysia. The big boys C-17 & C-130 and the fast jets bid adieu to 'down under' Australia."

The IAF was invited for the first time to participate in Exercise Pitch Black - a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This exercise, which was being conducted in Australia's Darwin, was scheduled from July 24 to August 18, 2018.

Indian Air Force was undertaking simulated air combat exercises in a controlled environment and mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing IAF operational capability said a press note released by PIB.

The participating Indian contingent in this three-week exercise consisted of 145 air-warriors, with 4x Su-30 MKI, 1x C-130, 1x C-17, Garud Commandos and observers with diverse specialisations.