Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s young, burgeoning air force got a major boost by participating in the massive Pitch Black war games in Northern Australia last week.

PNG flew with top-of-the-line American and Australian jets, strengthening their air force and regional partnerships.

“We are becoming an air force. Flying in Papua New Guinea is a must,” said Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Vavar, the commanding officer of PNG Air Wing, in a recent interview with Reuters. “Eighty percent of the population live in rural areas – so the only way you can get access to them is to fly.”

The inclusion of PNG in these war games aligns with recent defense pacts with Australia and the United States, which aim to bolster security ties as geopolitical dynamics in the Pacific intensify.

China’s growing interest in the Pacific Islands has fueled the region’s competition in recent years.

“Papua New Guinea is one of our key allies in the region,” stated Fiona Pearce, a senior Australian Defence Force officer for RAAF Tindal. “Their survival and our survival is interdependent,” she added, emphasizing the strategic importance of these growing partnerships.

Young Force on the Rise

As previously stated, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) is a relatively young force, having been established in 1973.