KUALA LUMPUR: A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) fighter jet participating in the Australian air combat exercise, Exercise Pitch Black 2024, has drawn significant attention from attendees during its open day.
The RMAF in a Facebook post said the F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet was among those participating in the exercise's static display held at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Darwin air base.
"The RMAF participated in the static display alongside other countries, with the presence of the F/A-18D Hornet attracting significant attention from visitors," it said on Facebook.
The aircraft with the registration number M45-01 was painted with a bright yellow stripe running over the canopy leading to its twin vertical tails.
The special marking was a commemorative livery to celebrate the RMAF's 18 Squadron silver jubilee, unveiled on Dec 16, 2022.
It has also been affectionately called the 'Pikachu', a Japanese video game character by local military and aviation enthusiasts alike.
The RMAF also said that it had also participated in a flypast event at Mindil Beach, Darwin that was held in conjunction with the multinational exercise.
The RMAF began conducting air combat training with partner nations in the exercise.
On July 8, a total of 103 RMAF personnel departed from the Butterworth air base for the largest multinational air combat exercise in Australia.
The exercise, from July 12 to Aug 2, will see the participation of 37 RMAF officers and 66 enlisted personnel, along with three F/A-18D Hornet fighter jets and one Airbus A400M transport aircraft.
The biennial exercise will operate primarily from the Royal Australian Air Force bases in Darwin, Tindal and Amberley.
This edition of the exercise will be the largest in its 43-year history, with participation from 20 countries involving 140 aircraft of various types and approximately 4,435 personnel.
Among the countries participating in Exercise Pitch Black 2024 are the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, Fiji, Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei.
The execution of Exercise Pitch Black 2024 will cover a full spectrum of training, featuring various realistic and simulated threats that can be encountered in a modern combat environment.