Deterring Communist China: 17 Countries Hold Joint Air Combat Drills In Australia

The Epoch Times reported on August 20, the air forces and fighter jets of 17 countries, including the United States, Britain, and Australia, gathered at Darwin and Tindal Air Force Bases in Australia on Friday to kick off a three-week “Pitch Black 2022” joint air combat exercise.

According to the Royal Australian Air Force, the biennial air combat exercise, code-named “Pitch Black 2022,” was interrupted for four years because of the global outbreak of the CCP virus (coronavirus) pandemic. This time, it was held on an expanded scale, with up to 2,500 personnel and 100 aircraft from around the world.

Participating countries include Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, the Netherlands, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States. Among them, Germany, Japan and South Korea are participating for the first time.Japan’s F2 Viper Zero fighters are taking part in Exercise Pitch Black for the first time. （Photo Credit: Shimizu Brothers/ SJST Spotters. Photo Source:Airliners.net)

Chang Yen-ting，former Air Force (ROCAF) Lieutenant General and professor at Fu Hsing Kang College, National Defense University (Republic of China) in Taiwan, believes that this military exercise is another demonstration of air power after the RIMPAC 2022 Pacific Rim Maritime Exercise. He believes there are four levels of significance.

First, at the political level, Australia is a member of “The Quad” composing of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. The choice to hold expanded military exercises in Australia is part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.

Secondly, being a vast and sparsely populated country, Australia possesses extensive sea and air rights, which is very suitable for conducting air force exercises.

Third, from the perspective of the war in Ukraine, air supremacy is the focus of future wars.

Fourth, from the perspective of geostrategic layout, the US Indo-Pacific strategy has a strong meaning to contain the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).