PITCH BLACK

Question 1

Why in News

Answer 1

Indian Force will join 16 other nations later this month(August) for Exercise Pitch Black, hosted by the Australian Air Force.
Previous edition held in 2020.

Question 2

What do we know about Exercise Pitch Black?

Answer 2

1. Exercise Pitch Black is a biennial three-week multilateral air combat training exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
2. It ensures that the training and integration of forces that occur during this exercise directly supports the Air Force’s ability to conduct operations.
3. It will provide Indian Air Force a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with these nations in a dynamic warfare environment.
   It provides all nations’ personnel with experience in working with aircraft, systems, and work practices, in northern Australia’s unique environment, that would otherwise be unfamiliar.
   It will take place in the Southern hemisphere which is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
4. The participants nations this year are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, the U.K, and the U.S..

5.

Question 3

Cooperation between India and Australia

Answer 3

1. Defence Cooperation
   #It is based on the Memorandum on Defence Cooperation 2006, the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation 2009 and the bilateral framework for Security Cooperation 2014.
   #Australia and India are committed to working together to enhance maritime cooperation and have had AUSINDEX since 2015.
   #Australia recently suggested trilateral cooperation among India, Australia and Indonesia to identify new ways for collaboration for the safety and security of the Indian Ocean.
   #India and Australia both border the Indian Ocean and have a shared interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and trade.
   #Australia recognises India’s critical role in supporting security, stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region.

Question 4

Civil Nuclear Cooperation and Consular Cooperation

Answer 4

1. A Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed in September 2014 which came into force in November 2015.
   The deal ensures that Uranium mining companies of Australia can supply uranium to India for civil use.
   It also ensures that any future bilateral trade in other nuclear-related material or items for civil use will also be protected.

Consular Cooperation
India and Australia signed the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and the Extradition Treaty in June 2008, which has been ratified by both the governments, and has come into force since January 2011.

Question 5

AUSINDEX 2021

Answer 5

Why in News

Recently, India and Australia have participated in the 4th edition of AUSINDEX Naval Exercise.

It comes on the heels of the Malabar Naval Exercise, one of the largest wargaming exercises of India, in which all the four members of the Quad had participated - India, Australia, the US and Japan - in the last week of August.
These exercises are a part of the two-month deployment of the Navy’s Eastern Fleet to Southeast Asia, South China Sea and the Western Pacific.

It is a major biennial bilateral exercise, first held in India in 2015.
The 2021 exercise is being held in Australia.
It aims to consolidate shared commitment to regional and global security challenges promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
It is aligned to the 2020 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.