By Kirsty Needham
DARWIN (Reuters) - One of the world's youngest air forces is taking part in war games alongside cutting-edge stealth fighter jets as the Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea boosts defence ties with Australia and the United States.
Papua New Guinea's trainee pilots have queued for take-off with U.S. F-22 Raptor and Australian Joint Strike Fighter jets in northern Australia this week in the 20-nation Pitch Black war games.
"It is a learning experience for us as a small air force and it helps to build our air force," said Major Randall Hepota, one of six PNG Air Force pilots flying three small P-750 turboprop aircraft.
At home, the New Zealand-made plane can take off and land in very short spaces and transports supplies and troops to border areas in treacherous mountain terrain.
Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Vavar, the commanding officer of PNG Air Wing, said Pitch Black offered exposure to the world's best pilots and was helping PNG learn how to integrate with a large coalition force.
"We are becoming an air force. Flying in Papua New Guinea is a must," he said in an interview on Saturday at RAAF Base Darwin. "Eighty percent of the population live in rural areas - so the only way you can get access to them is to fly."
The PNG air force could land closer to the site of the Enga landslide disaster in May to deliver aid than larger Royal Australian Air Force planes, he said.
"We have been training with the Royal Australian Air Force for several years and the Enga landslide was the first time we had to deploy," he said.
The small PNG planes have been landing in remote Jabiru to deliver supplies during Pitch Black, as well as RAAF Tindal Base, home to Australia's F-35 fighter jets.
Australia's Governor General, Sam Mostyn, inspected one of the PNG aircraft at the RAAF Darwin base open day.
Australia and the United States last year struck defence deals with PNG, which is also being courted by Beijing, amid strategic competition by major powers in the Pacific Islands.
"Papua New Guinea is one of our key allies in the region," said Fiona Pearce, senior Australian Defence Force officer for RAAF Tindal.
"Their survival and our survival is interdependent," she added.