World’s youngest air force takes to the skies in war games – Newspaper

DARWIN: The world’s youngest air force is taking part in war games with state-of-the-art stealth fighter jets, as the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea strengthens its defence ties with Australia and the United States.

Papua New Guinea’s trainee pilots lined up this week to take off in the US F-22 Raptor and the Australian Joint Strike Fighter in northern Australia during the Pitch Black war games involving 20 countries.

“It’s a learning experience for us as a small air force and it helps build our air force,” said Major Randall Hepota, one of six Papua New Guinea Air Force pilots flying three small P-750 turboprop aircraft.

Domestically, the New Zealand-made aircraft can take off and land in very short times and can transport supplies and troops to border areas in dangerous mountainous terrain.

Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Vavar, the PNG Air Wing Commander, said Pitch Black showcased and helped to identify the world’s best pilots

PNG learns how to integrate with a large coalition force.

“We are becoming an air force. Flying in Papua New Guinea is a must,” he said in an interview on Saturday at RAAF Base Darwin. “Eighty percent of the population lives in rural areas, so the only way to get there is by flying.” The Papua New Guinea air force would be able to land closer to the Enga landslide site in May to deliver aid than larger Royal Australian Air Force planes, he said.

“We have been training with the Royal Australian Air Force for a number of years and the Enga landslide was the first time we had to deploy,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 21, 2024