KF-16 fighters to fly nonstop to Australia for Pitch Black exercise

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s Air Force will take part in Pitch Black 2026, a multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force, at Darwin Air Base from Friday to Aug. 7, the Air Force said Tuesday.

The exercise will bring together about 110 aircraft from 16 countries, including F-35A stealth fighters from the United States, Japan and Australia, Rafale fighters from India and Typhoon fighters from Spain and Germany.

South Korea will send six KF-16 fighter jets from the 20th and 38th Fighter Wings, along with about 100 personnel, to conduct combined air operations with participating countries.

Three KC-330 multirole aerial refueling and transport aircraft and three C-130 transport aircraft will support the deployment of fighter jets, troops and equipment.

The KF-16 formation will depart from Seosan Air Base on Wednesday and fly about 5,900 kilometers to Australia over roughly seven and a half hours with aerial refueling support from the KC-330, without making a stopover.
  During the exercise, South Korean fighters will carry out various combined air operations with participating forces, including air interdiction, defensive counterair missions and aerial refueling.

“Training with air forces from various countries will be a valuable opportunity to strengthen our combined operational capabilities and interoperability,” said Col. Ha Jung-mi, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing’s air operations group and head of the South Korean training contingent.

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