India to participate in 17-nation drill “Pitch Black 2022” in Australia from August 19

India to participate in 17-nation drill “Pitch Black 2022” in Australia from August 19

• India will be part of the mega air combat exercise “Pitch Black 2022” among 17-nations, to be held in the Northern Territory of Australia.
• The three-week-long military exercise Pitch Black is scheduled to take place from August 19 to September 6, 2022.
• Over 100 aircraft and 2,500 military personnel from 17 nations will be part of the drill.
• The exercise is being conducted after a gap of four-years due to Covid. The last edition was held in 2018.
• The participating countries include the US, India, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE and the UK. 
• Ex Pitch Black is a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise, hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• The objectives for the exercise is to foster closer relationship between the participating forces and promote interoperability through exchange of knowledge and experience.