A South Korean Air Force pilot holds up his baby before boarding a KC-330 multirole tanker transport aircraft at an air base in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. (Republic of Korea Air Force) Six South Korean KF-16 fighter jets will fly about 5,900 kilometers nonstop to Australia with aerial refueling support before joining aircraft from 16 countries in a major multinational air exercise, the Air Force said Tuesday.The aircraft will participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force.The South Korean contingent will comprise six KF-16s and about 100 personnel from the 20th Fighter Wing in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, and the 38th Fighter Group in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.The fighters are scheduled to depart from the Air Force base in Seosan on Wednesday and reach Australia after a seven-and-a-half-hour nonstop flight.Three KC-330 multirole tanker transport aircraft will provide aerial refueling during the flight, while three C-130 transport planes will support the deployment of personnel and equipment.The long-range deployment will demonstrate the Air Force’s ability to rapidly deploy fighter aircraft over extended distances with tanker support, the service said.This year’s exercise will be held from Friday through Aug. 7 at an air base in Darwin, Australia.It will bring together about 110 aircraft from 16 countries, including F-35A stealth fighters from the United States, Japan and Australia, Rafale jets from India, and Eurofighter Typhoons from Spain and Germany, according to the South Korean Air Force.During the exercise, the South Korean fighters will conduct combined air operations with participating countries, including air interdiction, defensive counterair missions and aerial refueling.“This will be a valuable opportunity to enhance our combined operational capabilities and interoperability by training alongside the air forces of various countries,” said Col. Ha Jeong-mi, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing’s Air Operations Group and head of the South Korean contingent.“We expect to fully demonstrate the skills and professionalism we have developed,” she said.