One of the game-changing capabilities at Exercise Pitch Black 24 was not an aircraft or a battlespace system, but a 3500-room accommodation facility.
Defence Accommodation Precinct - Darwin (DAP-D) housed 4270 Australian and international personnel, ranging from overnight stays to people deployed for the duration of the exercise.
Officer Commanding Exercise Pitch Black 24 Air Commodore Peter Robinson said DAP-D made a clear impact on Pitch Black's success.
"At every meeting with international partners and our own unit representatives, DAP-D was consistently raised as one of the exercise highlights," Air Commodore Robinson said.
"It's rare to receive such a unanimous and positive response about the standard of accommodation during an exercise.
"For the first time, we had the majority of Darwin-based Pitch Black participants housed in a single location, which in turn helped build stronger bonds throughout the entire exercise."
The DAP-D facility is managed by Ventia and located in Howard Springs, a 22-minute drive from RAAF Base Darwin.
Each room has a single bed, air conditioning, fridge and ensuite.
The facility includes mess, tavern, café, gym and shopette, along with playing field, swimming pool, tennis court, beach volleyball court and indoor basketball court.
'For the first time, we had the majority of Darwin-based Pitch Black participants housed in a single location, which in turn helped build stronger bonds throughout the entire exercise.'
Constructed in the early 2010s for the natural gas company Inpex, DAP-D was later acquired by the Northern Territory government and became a quarantine facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2023, a five-year lease arrangement was signed between the Commonwealth and Northern Territory for Defence to use the facility for about $50 million per year.
This covers the expense of operating and maintaining the facility, including lease payments, catering, hospitality and cleaning services, utilities, transport, security and waste disposal.
Defence first used DAP-D for Exercise Talisman Sabre in July 2023, housing 1300 personnel.
At Pitch Black, an Air Force Joint Reception Committee (JRC) worked with Security and Estate Group and Ventia to use DAP-D to its full capacity.
Wing Commander Keely Cotter, Air Force liaison for DAP-D, said the JRC team worked in location from June 24 until August 9.
"We were allocated 3028 beds, and during the exercise period we had approximately 4270 people stay at DAP-D for various periods of time, from overnight stays through to the entirety of the exercise," Wing Commander Cotter said.
Another 300 members of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin were also housed at DAP-D during the exercise.
"We worked with countries during the planning conferences to determine where their preferences were to be accommodated," Wing Commander Cotter said.
"Some JRC team members were working on Pitch Black whilst doing their day job months before arrival in Darwin."
Within a week of personnel arriving at DAP-D, room balconies sprouted hammocks, flags and other personalised touches to make it feel like 'home'.
Shuttle buses took personnel to RAAF Base Darwin each day, or to Darwin CBD on Friday and Saturday nights.
Social activities such as painting classes by senior Indigenous liaison officer Squadron Leader Patricia Thompson were also popular with international personnel.
Corporal Andrew Kuchel coordinated regular evening soccer matches and other tavern events that were popular with participating nations.
'The feedback has been extremely positive and has ranged from having a room with their own bathroom, through to being able to socialise with anyone, regardless of rank and nationality.'
For the JRC team, thousands of arrivals meant long hours of troubleshooting last-minute issues and changes, but the value of DAP-D was clear.
"Having the majority of nations all together enabled fabulous international engagement," Wing Commander Cotter said.
"It's been evident everywhere, from the mess and tavern, through to the sporting events like evening soccer matches and beach volleyball.
"The feedback has been extremely positive and has ranged from having a room with their own bathroom, through to being able to socialise with anyone, regardless of rank and nationality.
"The JRC have worked tirelessly in providing the solutions to short-notice arrivals and changes. I am extremely proud of them."
An added bonus of using DAP-D was the reduced demand for personnel to stay in hotels, increasing the amount of accommodation during the Northern Territory's peak tourism season.
Pitch Black was not the only major Defence activity in Australia's Top End, according to John Wantling, Security and Estate Group's director of service delivery in the Northern Territory and Kimberleys.
"We had three exercises running together including Pitch Black, with a total of 11,000 service people accommodated in the Northern Territory," Mr Wantling said.
"All base accommodation at Darwin locations was at capacity - at DAP-D, RAAF Base Darwin, Defence Establishment Berrimah, Robertson Barracks and Larrakeyah Barracks.
"We could not have conducted Exercise Pitch Black 24 without DAP-D, and we're grateful to Ventia for providing us with such a world-class service during everyone's stay."
