Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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India has recently received a new shipment of Russian Igla-S air defence missiles amid rising tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. Igla-S is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS) developed by Russia. It is a hand-held system that can be used by one person or a small crew. It is designed to shoot down low-flying aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones.

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The Defence Minister recently inaugurated the BrahMos Aerospace Testing Facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on May 12, 2025. This facility is an important component of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor. The BrahMos missile is a long-range supersonic cruise missile system. It is an unmanned vehicle powered by jet engines. The missile reaches speeds of 2-3 Mach. BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and NPOM of Russia, developed it. The missile is named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.

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The indigenously developed Akash missile system played a key role in stopping Pakistan’s aerial attacks during Operation Sindoor. Akash is a mobile short-to-medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system. It was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is used by both the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army. It defends important locations from enemy aircraft, cruise missiles, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and can hit several targets at once. It can travel at speeds up to Mach 2.5 and is highly manoeuvrable. Its original version has a range of 27–30 km and can reach up to 18 km altitude.

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Russia launched a massive air attack on Ukraine on June 11, 2025, using over 300 drones and missiles. Around 250 of these were Shahed drones, which are Iranian-made Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). Shahed drones are also loitering munitions made by Shahed Aviation Industries for one-way explosive attacks. Russia calls the Shahed-136 drone “Geran-2”.

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The Achal Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) was recently launched in Goa, marking a key milestone in India’s defence sector. It is the fifth out of eight FPVs being built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The vessel is built under dual-class certification from the American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping. It is designed to protect offshore assets and island territories through monitoring and surveillance.

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Recently, Israel deployed Barak Magen, also known as Lightning Shield, as a defense against Iranian drones. Barak Magen is an advanced naval air defense system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is designed to counter various threats such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, high-trajectory projectiles, and shore-to-sea missiles. Barak Magen strengthens Israel’s layered defense architecture.

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Recently, Indian Navy commissioned INS Arnala, the first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. This marks a big step in strengthening India’s coastal defence and underwater threat response. INS Arnala is the first of sixteen ASW-SWC class ships and is designed for subsurface surveillance, search and rescue, and low-intensity maritime missions. It has over 80% indigenous content and reflects the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

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Recently, the Indian Navy announced it will commission its new stealth multi-role frigate Tamal on 01 July 2025 at Kaliningrad, Russia. Tamal is part of the Krivak class frigates that India has been inducting from Russia over the last two decades. The name Tamal represents the mythical sword used by Indra, the King of the Gods, in battles. The frigate was built at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.

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Recently, India is developing the K-6 hypersonic Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) to strengthen strategic deterrence and naval power. It is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Advanced Naval Systems Laboratory in Hyderabad. The K-6 will be deployed on advanced S-5 class SSBNs (nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines) of the Indian Navy, larger than Arihant class.

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Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed India’s first indigenous Photonic Radar. This is a big step for both defence and civilian radar technology. It places India among global leaders in next-generation radar innovation. Photonic Radar uses light-based (photonic) technology instead of traditional electronic signals. This technology gives higher bandwidth and much better resolution. It can detect and identify even the smallest objects with great accuracy.