SEOUL - South Korea's Air Force is set to join the Pitch Black multinational military exercise hosted by Australia, starting this week. The biennial event, aimed at enhancing joint operational capabilities and fostering international military cooperation, will be held at a military air base in Darwin, Australia, from this Friday through August 2.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea will deploy six F-15K fighters and approximately 100 troops to the exercise. Support logistics will include three KC-330 tanker aircraft and three C-130 aircraft, which are scheduled to depart ahead of the F-15K fighters from an air base in Daegu on Wednesday. The exercise will feature a diverse array of aircraft from 16 nations, including the U.S. F-22, Italy's F-35B, France's Rafale, and India's SU-30MKI fighters. This marks South Korea's second participation in the Pitch Black exercise, having previously sent six KF-16 fighter jets in 2022.