No fewer than three nations deployed 5th generation F-35A Lightning II combat jets to the Top End for Exercises Southern Cross and Pitch Black, held in the relatively empty airspace of northern Australia in July and August.
The Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defence Force and the US Air Force sent F-35As to Darwin and Tindal and, for the Japanese and Americans, their deployment marked the first time they have sent the stealthy fighters to a Pitch Black exercise.
However, Pitch Black 2026 was not all about F-35s, 5th generation aircraft or stealth capability, and several other participating nations were demonstrating new or upgraded capabilities during the three-week exercise.
The Indian Air Force deployed four of its newly delivered Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters to Pitch Black 2026 for the first time, after previously sending Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters.
The Rafales bring with them an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar in the form of Thales’ RB-E2 sensor, as well as the formidable MBDA Meteor long-range Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile.
The Indian Rafales flew mostly air-to-air missions during the exercise, using a notional, unclassified, Meteor capability during the second two weeks of Pitch Black - which are largely given over to BVR engagements as part of the Large Force Employment (LFE) phase.
In addition, three other countries sent upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighters to Pitch Black 2026, one of them for the very first time.
For the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) it was the second time it had deployed its F-16s to Darwin, but this time the six aircraft participating in 2026 are post-mid-life upgrade jets.
The upgraded ROKAF F-16s are designated KF-16CU and KF-16DU aircraft and feature a Raytheon Agile Beam Radar (RACR), upgraded avionics and Link 16 Tactical Data Link capability.
“For our first Pitch Black in 2022 we brought F-16s which were not upgraded and in 2024 we brought F-15Ks,” ROKAF Detachment Commander, Colonel Ha Jungmi, explained.
“As we have brought the upgraded version of the KF-16, we have the AESA radar and also the Link 16 communications system, which means we have more enhanced mission capabilities.”
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) also sent upgraded F-16C, F-16D and F-16D+ jets to Pitch Black 2026 and, for the first time, it also deployed with new weapons.
The post-upgrade aircraft are fitted with the Northrop Grumman APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) and enhanced avionics and were noted flying with Rafael Python V air-to-air missile training rounds for the first time in Australia during PB26.
“The ‘classic’ F-16 is still a great platform, but the upgraded aircraft have an AESA radar and better avionics, so it’s a much better scenario,” RSAF Detachment Commander, Colonel Benjamin Fu, detailed.
“The airspace here is huge, so you need much more awareness of where you are, where the adversaries and friendlies are, and the better avionics and also the radar gives us that and allows us to pace the aircrew a bit better and you are able to debrief more effectively with other platforms and other countries. So, there are enhanced operational capabilities for the Singapore F-16.”
For the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), Pitch Black 2026 marks the second time it has deployed its upgraded F-16A/B fighters to Australia, but this year the emphasis isn’t so much about the aircraft itself, but how it can be employed more effectively in the future.
Detachment Commander, Group Captain Nattavut Duansungnaen told ADM that even the post-upgrade aircraft do not have Link 16, but this capability is on the RTAF’s roadmap for the future.
“Our Air Force is also in the process of procuring a tanker [Airbus MRTT], so participating in Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) in this exercise brings us an opportunity,” he said. “We are also learning about the technology gap that we need to improve.”
Two other nations closely watching AAR operations at PB26 are Canada and the Philippines, both of which have plans to acquire a tanker capability.
Canada has announced that it will acquire nine Airbus CC-330 Husky (MRTT) aircraft to replace its ageing CC-150 Polaris fleet; and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) is also in the market for an AAR capability as part of its recapitalisation program.
