Pilot ejects to escape crash during military exercise

A major military training exercise has come close to becoming an international tragedy after a fighter jet crashed in a remote area south of Darwin. The Italian warplane was taking part in the biennial Exercise Pitch Black event when it crashed near the Northern Territory's Daly River on Wednesday. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles' office confirmed the pilot ejected from the EFA 2000 Typhoon aircraft before the crash, with no fatalities reported. The pilot was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition for precautionary checks, but police said he was "otherwise safe and well". A search and rescue helicopter had helped to recover the pilot, a Defence spokesperson said. "The exercise participant made immediate contact with air crew in the area via radio following their ejection," the spokesperson said. "The pilot arrived at hospital by helicopter around 1.30pm (local time)." All the event's flights were cancelled for the rest of the day. The Italian Air Force said the aircraft "encountered an unknown issue during a training flight" according to a statement issued by the Australian Defence Force late on Wednesday. Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite said 4500 troops from 20 nations were taking part in the training event, with six of those nations participating for the first time. In July 2023, a decorated army pilot and three others were killed when their helicopter plunged into the sea off Lindeman Island in Queensland during a military training event. Ahead of Wednesday's crash, Mr Thistlethwaite insisted the force had learned from past incidents and participants were given detailed support, communication and assurances around flying altitudes and configurations. "It takes 10 hours to plan one of those missions that goes for about an hour in the sky," he told Sky News earlier on Wednesday. Italian Air Force Detachment Commander Brigadier General Filippo Nannelli earlier described the transit to Australia as challenging. "It required a lot of effort from our men and women to ensure we arrived here with so many aircraft," he said in comments published by the Australian Defence Force on Friday. Pitch Black, one of the largest tactical air operations in the world, is hosted by the Australian Royal Air Force and includes more than 140 aircraft. The exercise is being held out of both the RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal. The Air Force's website describes the operation as its "most significant flying activity for strengthening international engagement and enhancing our ability to work with overseas partners". "Activities such as Exercise Pitch Black help to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, build connections around the globe, bolster regional security, and build regional resilience to transnational threats," the force said.