Indian Rafales Complete High-Tempo Indo-Pacific Deployment Across Australia and Malaysia

The Indian Air Force has completed a major multinational deployment across Australia and Malaysia, with its Rafale fighters participating successively in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 and Exercise Udara Shakti 2026. The two exercises placed Indian aircrew in demanding multinational and bilateral combat-training environments and demonstrated the IAF’s ability to sustain frontline fighter operations across the Indo-Pacific.

Exercise Pitch Black 2026 was held in northern Australia from July 20 to August 7 and brought together more than 2,500 personnel and over 100 aircraft from 21 countries. The 2026 edition also marked the first appearance of Indian Rafales at the Royal Australian Air Force’s premier multinational air-combat exercise. The IAF deployment was supported by C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft and IL-78 aerial-refuelling aircraft.

During Pitch Black, the Rafales participated in complex Large Force Employment missions designed to replicate high-threat, multi-domain combat conditions. Such missions require large numbers of aircraft with different capabilities to operate within a common battle plan while coordinating air-to-air combat, mission command, refuelling and other supporting functions. The exercise therefore provided Indian pilots with valuable experience operating as part of a large multinational air package rather than only within an IAF formation.

The deployment was particularly significant because the Indian Rafales trained alongside a wide range of modern combat aircraft. Australia’s exercise organisers confirmed that the 2026 edition included forces from countries including the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia and several other regional and European partners. Japanese F-35A fighters also made their Pitch Black debut during the exercise, further increasing the diversity of aircraft and operating concepts encountered by participating crews.

After completing operations in Australia, the IAF contingent deployed directly to Subang in Malaysia for Exercise Udara Shakti 2026. There, Indian Rafale crews conducted high-intensity combat sorties and joint tactical manoeuvres with the Royal Malaysian Air Force, flying both alongside and against Malaysia’s Su-30MKM and F/A-18 Hornet fighters. The training concentrated on air-combat tactics, combined operational flexibility and exchanges between specialists from the two air forces.

The Malaysian phase offered a different training environment from Pitch Black. Instead of operating inside a very large multinational formation, Indian crews could conduct more focused bilateral training against aircraft with significantly different aerodynamic characteristics, sensors and combat philosophies. This type of dissimilar air-combat training helps pilots refine tactical decision-making while giving both air forces greater familiarity with each other’s operating procedures.

Cooperation extended beyond flying operations. Indian and partner personnel exchanged experience in mission planning, aircraft maintenance and operational support, allowing the exercises to test not only pilots but also the ground and command structures required to sustain combat aviation away from home bases.

The Australia-Malaysia deployment consequently represents more than two individual exercises for the IAF. Moving Rafales and their supporting elements through successive international engagements demonstrated India’s growing capacity to deploy modern combat aircraft over long distances, integrate them into different command environments and sustain operations alongside multiple foreign air forces.

For the Rafale fleet in particular, Pitch Black and Udara Shakti provided exposure to both large-scale coalition warfare and focused dissimilar fighter training. The deployment also strengthened India’s defence relationships with Australia and Malaysia while expanding practical interoperability with air forces across the wider Indo-Pacific.