Ben Morgan’s Pacific Update: Exercise Pitch Black 2024

Exercise Pitch Black 2024

Currently, Australia is hosting Exercise Pitch Black, the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) most important regular air warfare exercise. Held bi-annually since 1981, Exercise Pitch Black is an opportunity for the RAAF to test its war-fighting skills and involves plenty of training with allies and partners.  

This year the exercise involves around 4,400 service people from 20 nations operating about 140 aircraft. The exercise includes plenty of combat focussed training over Northern Australia.  Hard work and high-risk training that sometimes includes accidents.  When this report was written a participating Italian fighter plane had crashed, fortunately it was reported that the pilot ejected safely. 

The exercise includes several European participants and is part of the German led, Exercise Pacific Skies 2024.  This means that the range of military hardware operating over Northern Australia includes Eurofighter Typhoons, US Air Force F-22 Raptors, RAAF F-35 Lightning II, French Rafaels and a range of other surveillance, support and combat aircraft.  Nearby, in the Timor Sea the Italian Navy carrier, Cavour is providing a maritime aviation component. 

The international flavour of Exercise Pitch Black is noteworthy, in recent articles we have discussed NATO’s relationship with the Indo-Pacific. An exercise like this is a chance for participating nations to work together, test operational procedures and protocols and ensure that if required, they can fight together. Essentially, exercises like this are rehearsals for potential conflict, and it is noteworthy that this year’s exercise includes NATO nations practicing long-range deployment of air combat power (both fighters and support aircraft) far from Europe. 

Further, the exercise allows Australia to practice hosting contingents of foreign aircraft and for all parties to practice the techniques of air war in a potential area of operations. Skills like air-to-air refuelling, air traffic control and joint command protocols. Activities that test northern Australia’s ability to support aircraft sent from Europe or the US. Australia’s role in Pacific security is clearly expanding, it seems that with its vast spaces, modern infra-structure and large bases the nation is developing as a lynch-pin of deterrence in the region.  In any potential near-peer conflict with China or North Korea, in the South China Sea or further north in Taiwan, Australia provides a potential base area from which allied operations can be supported. From the perspective of a potential US-led alliance, it provides a contingency against pre-emptive strikes on US bases in Japan, Philippines or Micronesia. 

Further, if Australia finds itself in asymmetric conflict closer to home, then the ability to receive reinforcements and to support them is a useful capability that exercises like this one test. My observation is that current Australian defence policy and activity suggests that this trend towards Australia serving as a defence hub for the US and European will continue.  Australia’s security concerns incentivising more joint training with its European partners. 

Pacific leaders meet in Japan

The 10th Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting (PALM) was hosted in Japan between 16-18 July.  PALM is long-running Japanese initiative to build better relationships in the Pacific. Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida hosted this summit and discussed a range of issues with 18 Pacific Island Forum nations.  

PALM summits are triennial and Pacific politics have evolved considerably in the three years since the last meeting. Specifically, security has become a more significant issue, especially for the Pacific’s larger nations that are actively competing. The smaller countries that are members of the Pacific Islands Forum continue to prioritise climate change and economic development, preferring to stay out of larger power competition. ‘2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent,’( https://forumsec.org/2050 ) is the forum’s strategy and focuses on these issues, and when discussing security looks at this issue in a people centred manner stating “The Pacific region recognises an expanded concept of security that includes human security, economic security, humanitarian assistance, environmental security, cyber security and transnational crime, and regional cooperation to build resilience to disasters and climate change.” 

A position that reinforces security policies established in the 2000 Bitekawa Declaration. A principle of which is “Recognising the importance of averting the causes of conflict and of reducing, containing and resolving all conflicts by peaceful means including by customary practices” for instance working together to manage issues like climate change or poor governance to stop them developing into security threats. 

This year’s PALM 10 continues this focus and a restates the desire to engage with larger powers on ‘Pacific’ terms. The Chair and Cook Island’s Prime Minister, Mark Brown stating in the closing declaration “as Leaders of the Pacific, we will work as one united region. We seek partners who want to work with us through our systems; understand us from our vantage point; and most importantly, align and commit themselves to the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and its Implementation Plan.” (https://forumsec.org/publications/release-palm10-declaration-pacific-islands-forum-and-japan-will-address-shared )

This creates an interesting security environment as small Pacific nations tread carefully during a period of Sino-American competition, aiming to remain on good terms with all parties. Opportunities exist to achieve local goals, using aid from competing powers but this entails the risk of being drawn into conflict. Japan is generally well-regarded as a development partner of choice because it has economic power, tech savvy and engages in a manner that Pacific nations are comfortable about.  Japan is also positioned to develop as a security partner in the Pacific. 

Japan’s policy direction is clear, Prime Minister Abe’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ strategy was incorporated in the leader’s declaration at PALM 8 along with it being confirmed as a policy initiative.  This strategy focuses of three pillars:

• Promoting the rule of law to ensure freedom of navigation.
• Supporting economic growth, including financing infrastructure.
• Committing to peace and security including support for law enforcement and disaster relief.

This strategy drives Japanese interventions in the region, for instance last week we discussed Japan’s donation of a million dollars-worth of computer equipment to the Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption.  A donation that supports the rule of law. Likewise, Japan’s commitment of aircraft and warships to ‘freedom of navigation’ patrols in the South China Sea are noteworthy examples of this strategy in action. 

It is likely that Japan’s presence in the Pacific will increase, especially in the defence and security arena. An outcome of PALM 10 was agreement to increase Japanese defence and maritime law enforcement exchanges with Pacific nations. So, expect to see more Japan Self-Defence Force warships visiting further afield in the Pacific and Japanese coastguard vessels supporting smaller nations.  Additionally, we should expect Japanese investments in supporting stronger governance. 

Pacific Islands Forum interested in engagement in New Caledonia

In remarks after the recent Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, Mark Brown, Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum discussed the organisation’s desire to send a delegation to the troubled French colony. A fact-finding mission before the forum’s August meeting.  Brown said that New Caledonia’s government has requested a Pacific delegation and that he would soon be writing to the French government.

The Pacific Islands Forum is concerned about the French government’s handling of the political situation. Its Chair confirming the forum shares Kanak concerns about the process of the independence referendum and follows recent calls from the Melanesian Spearhead Group. A forum sub-group that recently issued a statement saying “We call on France to allow a UN-MSG Joint mission to visit New Caledonia to assess the political and socioeconomic status and propose ways for mutually and amicably addressing the situation in New Caledonia.” 

The Pacific Islands Forum has a history of successful security interventions in the region. Including assistance missions in Solomon Islands, Tonga and Nauru. The Biketawa Declaration providing a basis for the group to lead peace support and stabilisation missions.

In my opinion, the Pacific Islands Forum could provide a useful option for supporting dialogue between the French government and the local community. A delegation of independent Pacific nations has a degree of moral authority and legitimacy that supports its opinions. However, resolving the New Caledonian situation will require France to change its political position and accept greater autonomy or even New Caledonian independence. 

My assessment is that this is unlikely, New Caledonia is useful territory strategically and has vast potential wealth as sea mining becomes more economic.  France’s interventions to-date indicate a desire to retain control. For instance, using the third and final referendum on independence, that was boycotted by many Kanak people, as the basis for ending the independence discussion indicates a desire to ‘move on’ quickly rather than engaging in meaningful discussion. This was followed by the proposal to modify electoral rolls reducing Kanak voting power. This action started a series of riots. The response to which includes rendition of key leaders from the colony to mainland France for trial.  A pattern of behaviour that demonstrates a French desire to retain the colony. 

Therefore, regardless of the outcome of the Pacific Islands Forum’s intervention we should expect to see more violence in New Caledonia and larger deployments of French police and soldiers to the region.  

Melanesian update 

A regular update on the Pacific’s least reported trouble spot; Melanesia. 

Solomon Islands ask China for aid to improve Honiara Airport

Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, James Manele confirmed on 25 July that the nation has asked China for aid to lengthen the runway at Honiara Airport. The proposal centred on improving the airport’s ability to receive heavier and longer-ranged aircraft, allowing for more foreign trade.

Solomon Islands economic argument is that more capable airport with a longer runway makes trade more efficient by allowing larger aircraft to operate from Honiara. However, Australia and its allies and its partners will note an underlying security consideration because Honiara Airport is built on one of the largest areas of flat land in Melanesia. Any power that controls Guadalcanal and Honiara’s air field has access to very good facilities for waging air war. This was the reason so many Japanese and American soldiers died there in World War Two.  This factor means that any Chinese interest in the area, like funding an extension to the airport’s runway will cause tension with Australia.

More violence in Papua New Guinea 

This week there are reports of more large-scale violence in Papua New Guinea.  The latest fighting is in East Sepik Province’s Angoram District. Police reports indicate that on 17 and18 July, a gang of approximately 30 young men conducted a series of violent attacks on villages in the area killing 26 people, mostly women and children. The attacks included sexual assaults. The area is remote about 70 km south-east of the provincial capital, Wewak, a town of about 25,000 people.  The remoteness and rough terrain meant it took police days to respond to the attacks. 

The motive for these attacks is not known, yet. This incident follows large scale intertribal fighting earlier this year in Enga Province, about 130km south of Angoram District.  Although, the causes are probably unrelated the two incidents demonstrate the weakness of state institutions in Papua New Guinea and the capacity for violent confrontations to escalate quickly to horrific levels of suffering.  

 

 

Ben Morgan is a bored Gen Xer, a former Officer in NZDF and TDBs Military Blogger – his work is on substack