A mixed force of French, German and Spanish fighters touched down at RAAF Base Darwin on Sunday, after completing a trans-Pacific deployment.
The aircraft, two Dassault Rafale and seven Eurofighter Typhoons are in the region to participate in a number of exercises under the Pacific Skies mission.
From this week they will join combat aircraft from 13 other nations in the Large Force Employment (LFE) portion of the RAAF’s Pitch Black air combat exercise.
The French, German and Spanish jets had deployed from their bases across Europe in late June, initially to Alaska, where they participated in Exercise Arctic Defender, alongside US and Canadian assets.
From Alaska the deployment continued to Japan and thence to Darwin. While part of the pan-European force is in Darwin, other elements are taking place in the US Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 24) in Hawaii. Other regional exercises will include Nippon Skies in Japan and Tarang Shakti 1 in India before the aircraft return to Europe.
Commenting on the deployment before the aircraft departed from Europe, the Chief of Staff of Germany’s Luftwaffe Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz said its aim was to increase operational capability, strengthen military cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific and demonstrate its airpower and dedication to the region.
“By participating in Pacific Skies 24, we as Europeans are showing presence in a part of the world that is of great importance to us all,” he said.
“For us the deployment is pretty much to the other side of the world,” commented Major Rojas, the Spanish detachment Commander at Pitch Black after the arrival of the arcraft. “Which shows our ability to deploy aircraft around the globe”.
Colonel Björn Andersen, the Detachment Commander for the Luftwaffe in Darwin said that the Pacific Skies deployment was the largest and longest deployment in the air force’s history and follows its initial deployment to Pitch Black under Exercise Rapid Pacific 2022.
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