Go Bold #32: Stories from the Cockpit: Wing Commander Noel Rees on RAF participation in Exercise Pitch Black 2022

We are honored to have senior leaders from Allied forces share their insight. In Episode 26, we spoke with Group Captain Matthew McCormack of the Royal Australian Air Force, where we discussed the Australian-led multi-national large force employment exercise called Pitch Black.Pitch Black is a biennial exercise and this year it took place between August 19 and September 8, and it hosted over 2,000 personnel and over 80 aircraft.The exercise provides an opportunity for participating air forces to share best practices and an opportunity to test and improve force integration by utilizing one of the largest training airspace areas in the world which is over the Northern Territory and Queensland. The Royal Air Force (RAF) participated in Exercise Pitch Black this year with 4 Eurofighter Typhoons, and a Voyageur strategic air refueling tanker. A RAF A400M Atlas multi-role strategic transport aircraft supported the detachment as a sweeper.Joining me to talk about Royal Air Force participation in the exercise, and in keeping with our focus of speaking with senior leaders, is Wing Commander Noel Rees, a Typhoon pilot and Commanding Officer of No. 6 Squadron which is based at RAF Lossiemouth. Wing Commander Rees served as the RAF Detachment Commander for the exercise.We discuss the logistics of fighter aircraft traveling across the globe, flying during the exercise itself, and training opportunities the RAF was able to conduct with other forces like the Indian Air Force.Wing Commander Rees also shares his thoughts on training for air warfare in the modern age.We encourage you to listen to Episode 26 as a precursor to this episode, and we are confident you will enjoy this wide ranging and informative episode.Our thanks to RAF Wing Commander Rees for his time and insight.Go Bold!