Italy soars into Pitch Black debut
As the sun rose over RAAF Base Darwin, F-35s from one of Exercise Pitch Black’s newest participants took to the skies to commence their part in the first week of flying.
CAPTION: Yuri, an F-35A pilot with the Italian Air Force, on the flightline during Exercise Pitch Black 24. Story by Flight Lieutenant Matthew Edwards. Photo by Sergeant David Gibbs.
The morning light gleamed off the fifth-generation fighters, as they roared down the runway and took to the air, cutting across the sky like silver arrows. This was the debut of the Italian Air Force (ItAF) on Exercise Pitch Black 2024.
For the first time, the ItAF joined 19 other nations to participate in the exercise, showcasing Italy’s commitment to enhance its military capabilities and strength international partnerships.
Brigadier General Filippo Nannelli, Italian Air Force detachment commander, said his people were excited to be in Australia for the event.
“We are looking forward to the chance to collaborate and work with so many international partners from this area of the globe, far from our homeland,” Brigadier General Nannelli said.
In addition to the F-35, the ItAF brought the F-2000 Typhoon, the KC-767 refueller and E550 CAEW, contributing to the largest number of fifth-generation, airborne early warning and control aircraft and air-to-air refuelling tankers in a Pitch Black exercise.
The 2024 iteration is the largest in the exercise’s 43-year history, with the ItAF contributing 21 aircraft.
“The most challenging part of the transit to Australia was the logistic footprint of our deployment. It required a lot of effort from our men and women to ensure we arrived here with so many aircraft,” Brigadier General Nanelli said.
Over the two weeks, the ItAF (or, in Italian, Aeronautica Militare) will share Australia’s enormous airspace with other participating nations.
“Exercise Pitch Black is one of the biggest exercises where we are working together to create interoperability among partners,” Brigadier General Nannelli said.
“It is up to 20 nations working and flying together, sharing knowledge and exchanging experience to make up a solid bond and relationship to work together to safeguard security on a global scale.”
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