The Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters returned to the skies over the Northern Territory in August and September, flying daily missions in the RAAF’s Pitch Black 2022 air combat exercise.
It is the second time India has participated in the multi-lateral exercise, following the deployment of six aircraft from 102 Sqn “Trisonics” and a C-130J-30 airlifter in 2019.
This year four Su-30s from the IAF’s 20 Squadron “Lightnings”, based at Lohegaon Air Force Station, Pune southeast of Mumbai, deployed to RAAF Base Darwin, supported by a C-17A Globemaster III transport.
Along with the aircraft, around 100 IAF personnel were based in Darwin for the Pitch Black exercise. On their way to Australia, the IAF contingent spent some time in Malaysia, taking part in Exercise Udarashakti with the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s similar Su-30MKM aircraft. Following a one-day stopover in Surabaya, Indonesia, the four Su-30s arrived in Darwin just prior to the commencement of Pitch Black in August.
Air to air refuelling was performed en-route by IAF Ilyushin Il-78 tankers until just short of Darwin and thence by a French Air Force A330 MRTT Phénix.
The officer in charge of media coordination for the IAF in Darwin, Wing Commander Rohan Kulkarni told ADM that the lessons learned from the 2019 exercise have been incorporated into the planning for the 2022 event.
“We are flying all the laid down missions; both by day and night, as mandated by the exercise settings and applicable to a multi-role aircraft like the Su-30MKI,” WGCDR Kulkarni said.
“We are using the capabilities (of the Su-30) as demanded from the mission settings as applicable for the exercise. We’re here to learn from each other and use the exercise settings for sharing of best practices between participating nations.”
