Northern Australia — The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) E-7A Wedgetail worked alongside Japan’s E-2D Hawkeye, the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s G550 and Australian ground-based controllers during Exercise Pitch Black 2026, supporting multinational command-and-control operations.
Operated by No. 2 Squadron, the E-7A helped connect airborne and ground-based command-and-control units during complex air combat missions. The integration allowed participating forces to combine information from different sensors and maintain a shared view of the battlespace.
Exercise Pitch Black was conducted from July 20 to August 7, 2026, primarily in northern Australia. Around 100 aircraft and 2,500 personnel from 21 nations participated in the exercise, operating mainly from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory, with some activity at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.
E-7A Links Airborne and Ground-Based Units
During the exercise, the RAAF E-7A operated with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) E-2D Hawkeye, the Republic of Singapore Air Force G550 and Australia's 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit (114MCRU).
The E-7A used data links to combine information from airborne and ground-based sensors. This helped participating forces build a common operating picture during missions and coordinate aircraft from different countries.
Squadron Leader Daniel Price, No. 2 Squadron’s Exercise Pitch Black Detachment Commander, described the arrangement as a command-and-control “constellation.”
“The E-7A works side by side with our partner nation’s airborne early warning and control aircraft, including the Japan Air Self-Defense Force E-2D and Republic of Singapore Air Force G550, as well as ground-based air battle management units such as 114MCRU,” Price said.
He said the integration allowed each unit to make use of the different systems and capabilities available within the multinational force.
“Integration looks a lot like working as a command and control ‘constellation’ alongside the JASDF E-2D and 114MCRU, capitalising on each unit’s unique systems and platforms,” Price said.
Cooperation Improved With Each Mission
The RAAF said cooperation between the participating units became more streamlined as they completed additional missions together.
According to Price, repeated operations helped personnel develop greater confidence in their partner forces, refine procedures and improve the way the different units worked together.
“Operations become more streamlined with every mission conducted. You learn to trust the expertise of your partners, refine how you work together and ultimately become a more effective warfighting package,” he said.
Mission planning and post-flight debriefs were also an important part of the exercise. These activities gave participating personnel an opportunity to discuss tactical problems, understand how partner forces approached missions and identify ways to support one another more effectively.
“These periods allow us to better understand how our coalition partners assess tactical problems, undertake missions and how we can best support one another,” Price said.
Ground Crews Support E-7A Operations
The RAAF also highlighted the personnel responsible for keeping the E-7A available throughout the exercise.
Maintainers, engineers, logisticians, planners and other support personnel worked behind the aircraft's operational missions to ensure it remained ready to fly.
“Behind every mission is a dedicated team of maintainers, engineers, logisticians, planners and support personnel whose work ensures the capability is ready to fly,” Price said.
He added that the E-7A team was dedicated to its role in supporting the exercise.
Japan Deploys E-2D and F-35A
Japan's participation also included the E-2D Hawkeye operating with the E-7A and other command-and-control assets. Japan also deployed F-35A Lightning II aircraft to Exercise Pitch Black for the first time.
The combination of airborne early warning and control aircraft, ground-based air battle management units and fighter aircraft provided opportunities for the participating nations to practice multinational air operations using different platforms and command-and-control capabilities.
The RAAF said the professional relationships developed during the exercise were another important outcome of the multinational training.
“Training side by side and spending time with our international partners develops trust, understanding and confidence in each other’s capabilities, something that simply can’t be replicated in a classroom or virtual environment,” Price said.
The three-week exercise therefore provided the E-7A Wedgetail and its crews with repeated opportunities to operate within a multinational command-and-control network alongside airborne and ground-based partners.
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