Royal Air Force Typhoons and a Voyager, together with an Atlas, have arrived in Darwin, Australia, ready to begin Exercise Pitch Black. To get there, the RAF deployed as a joint exercise with the French Air and Space Force (FASF).
The deployment phase of this series of exercises was known as Exercise Griffin Strike 24. Six Typhoons from RAF Coningsby based 11 (Fighter) Squadron with the Voyager, and A400M aircraft from the RAF Brize Norton based Air Mobility Force, first joined up with FASF’s Rafale and Phenix aircraft at Istres Airbase in southern France.
The deployment exercise began on the 4th July 2024 and is intended as a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to deploy a persistent, credible, and reliable presence in the Indo-Pacific region when needed.
“This is not the first time that 11(F) Squadron have conducted an exercise in the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, the Squadron exercised in Malaysia on Exercise Bersama Lima. Exercise Griffin Strike however, provides a new and challenging opportunity to plan and execute air power projection to the Indo-Pacific region, in partnership with our long-term allies in the French Air & Space Force."
Wing Commander Robertson
Officer Commanding 11(F) Squadron
Wing Commander Robertson said: "It is therefore a continuation and evolution of a longer-term training commitment that spans many years with the Anglo French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force.
The exercise has demonstrated the ability of the CJEF, to plan and conduct combined projection of Air Power at distance. It underlines the capability of both Air Forces to act together in an integrated manner to protect our interests and reassure allies whilst deterring potential aggressors.”
This deployment in 2024 marks a significant period in the UK and French relationship marking the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
The deployment to Darwin has seen the combined air group fly from France to the Middle East, then on to Singapore before finally travelling to Australia so that both detachments can participate in Exercise Pitch Black 24.
During the exercise the combined air detachment travelled nearly 9,000 miles in order to complete the mission and provided vital training for both the RAF and FASF both individually and as a collective.
