Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Pacific Air Forces commander (right), speaks with Senior Master Sgt. Eric Bennett (middle), 80th Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent, and Capt. Donovan Ricks (left), 80th AMU officer in charge, during Exercise Pitch Black 2018, at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Aug. 13, 2018. Brown, who started his career at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, visited with participating Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Savannah Waters)COMPACAF visits Exercise Pitch Black 2018
                        
                        
                        U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Pacific Air Forces commander (right), speaks with Senior Master Sgt. Eric Bennett (middle), 80th Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent, and Capt. Donovan Ricks (left), 80th AMU officer in charge, during Exercise Pitch Black 2018, at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Aug. 13, 2018. Brown, who started his career at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, visited with participating Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Savannah Waters)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Exercise Pitch Black 2018 strengthens alliancesPublished Aug. 15, 2018
                    
                    By Senior Airman Savannah L. Waters
                    
                    
                    8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE DARWIN, Australia (AFNS) --**Exercise Pitch Black 2018 is a Royal Australian Air Force-hosted biennial multinational large force employment exercise held from July 27 through Aug. 17. This year’s event, the largest since its inception, involves 16 nations, 140 aircraft and more than 4,000 personnel – approximately 150 of which call the 8th Fighter Wing from Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, their home.
U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Pacific Air Forces commander, received an orientation of Exercise Pitch Black 18 and visited with participating Airmen Aug. 13.
“The National Defense Strategy talks about strengthening alliances and attracting new partners,” Brown said. “The Juvats (80th Fighter Squadron) are participating in an exercise with the opportunity to work with other countries’ aircraft and military. It’s a full integration of planning efforts and capabilities, allowing us to really build those relationships so we can continue to work together in the future.”
Exercise PBK18 allows participant nations to exercise deployed units in the tasking, planning and execution of offensive counter-air and offensive air support while using one of the largest training airspace areas in the world – Bradshaw Field Training Area and Delamere Air Weapons Range.
“The airspace here is about three times the airspace of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, one of our larger airspaces in the United States,” Brown said. “From my personal experience as a command pilot, to have the vast airspace that we do here allows us to bring in a lot more aircraft, and strengthens our pilots’ ability to test their warfighting capabilities.”
Another unique aspect of this year is the exercise is conducted as part of the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin initiative, one of two components that comprise a force posture agreement between the two nations and serves as a tangible demonstration of the United States’ sustained commitment to the alliance and the Indo-Pacific region.
“As good as the U.S. Air Force is, each one of these nations has brought a new level of capability to the fight,” Brown said. “As nations come together at Exercise Pitch Black, our allied forces show us how they operate, which will help us improve how we operate.”
The ability to work with U.S. allied nations and partners and expanding capabilities at these bases can give PACAF, especially 8th Fighter Wing Airmen, not only a change of pace, but a better appreciation of their personal capabilities, Brown said.
“Having been a part of the Wolf Pack a few times, I know how hard you exercise,” Brown said, who started his career at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, as a young lieutenant and later served as the wing commander, affectionately known as “the Wolf.” “An off-peninsula exercise like Pitch Black provides the Wolf Pack a different perspective from normal operations, as well as the chance to deploy and employ to different locations.”
For the Air Force as a whole, there’s value to deploying in different locations, Brown said.
“Airmen, no matter what country you’re from, all think alike to an extent,” Brown said. “Through this exercise, we can learn more not only about each other’s Air Force, but about each other and how and where we operate, improving future joint operations.”
Pitch Black began in 1990 as an exercise between Singapore and Australia. This year’s participation includes Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand and the U.S. The exercise includes day and night flying, with participants operating out of both Royal Australian Air Force bases Darwin and Tindal.
In addition to the F-16s from the 80th Fighter Squadron “Juvats,” U.S. aircraft participation includes Air Force and Marine Corps fighters and bombers; refuelers; rotary wing aircraft; and supporting ground forces.
During his visit, Brown also met with various Royal Australian Air Force leadership responsible for directing and supporting the exercise as well as key defense and military leaders over the course of several days in country. The trip was his first since taking command July 26 and provided a firsthand look at not only the U.S. military’s participation in the exercise, but also opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-Australia alliance and the Indo-Pacific region.Exercise Pitch Black 2018 



COMPACAF 



Pacific Air Forces 



Kunsan AB 



80th Fighter Squadron 



Royal Australian air force 



RAAF 



8th Fighter Wing 



Kunsan Air Base 



PBK18 



AF 



Air Force 



PACAF 



U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown 



Jr 



Wolf Pack Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil