SYDNEY – A foreign aircraft crashed Wednesday during a large multinational military exercise in northern Australia, according to a defense official, who said the pilot ejected and was “safe and well”.
Emergency responders and defense officials said the aircraft crashed near the northern city of Darwin during Exercise Pitch Black 24.
An Italian official said the aircraft was believed to be part of his country’s contingent, but had no further details.
“Defense can confirm an international participant in Exercise Pitch Black 24 is safe and well after ejecting from their aircraft this morning during flying operations,” an Australian defense department official said in a statement.
“All flying for the remainder of the day has been canceled.”
The Australian defense department said the crash occurred around 10.45am local time (0115 GMT).
The pilot “made immediate contact with aircrew in the area via radio following their ejection”.
Police said the plane crashed about 18 kilometers southwest of the rural township of Daly River, a cattle farming and fishing hub with a population of less than 500.
“The pilot has been conveyed to hospital for precautionary checks but is otherwise safe and well,” Northern Territory Police said in a statement.
Exercise Pitch Black, held every two years, prepares for complicated missions involving large numbers of international aircraft, according to the Australian Air Force.
The Italian Air Force was participating in the exercises for the first time.
“We are looking forward to the chance to collaborate and work with so many international partners from this area of the globe, far from our homeland,” Brigadier General Filippo Nannelli said late last week.
The Italian Air Force has provided 21 aircraft for the exercises.
Northern Australia is seen as an increasingly important staging ground for war drills, offering a gateway to potential flash points in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
But recent multinational exercises have been plagued by deadly mishaps.
Three US Marines were killed in August last year when their Osprey aircraft crashed on a tropical island during exercises north of Darwin.
A month earlier, four Australians died when their Taipan helicopter plunged into the sea during night drills off the coast of Queensland.
The United States Marine Corps, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and the German Air Force were among the 20 militaries involved — billed as the “largest iteration of the exercise in its 43-year history”.
