Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
On July 15, 2025, India received the second GE-F404 engine from the United States for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-1A programme. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a public sector firm, received the engine and is set to get 12 more by the end of this financial year. These engines will power the LCA Mark-1A fighter jets, which faced over a year of delay due to U.S. supply chain issues. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered 83 LCA Mk-1A jets, with a proposal for 97 more under review. HAL received the first engine in March 2025 and aims to deliver over 10 Tejas jets soon.

Notes:
India recently sent a letter of request to the United States to co-produce Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) within the country. Javelin is a man-portable, American-made anti-tank guided missile. It is jointly developed by U.S. defence companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. It is designed to destroy heavily armoured vehicles like main battle tanks and lighter military targets. It can also hit bunkers, fortifications, and even helicopters.

Notes:
Recently, India successfully destroyed two Aerial High-Speed Unmanned targets in Ladakh using Akash Prime missile. Akash Prime is an upgraded version of the Akash surface-to-air missile system designed for high-altitude use. It is a medium-range missile meant to defend mobile, semi-mobile, and static military assets from aerial threats. It features an indigenous Radio Frequency seeker for precise target tracking in the final flight phase. It can target threats at a range of 25 to 30 kilometers.

Notes:
Recently, Indian Navy’s INS Sandhayak made its maiden port call at Port Klang, Malaysia for hydrographic cooperation. INS Sandhayak is the first indigenously designed and built Sandhayak-class hydrographic survey ship. It was commissioned in February 2024. The ship was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. It is capable of full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys and oceanographic data collection.

Notes:
Russia recently launched its major naval exercise “July Storm” from July 23 to 27, 2025. The drill began with Bastion coastal defence missile launchers deployed along the Barents Sea shoreline. The exercise involves a missile battalion from the Northern Fleet’s Kola Flotilla taking firing positions to secure the Arctic region. “July Storm” is the largest Russian naval drill of the year, covering the Pacific, Arctic, Baltic, and Caspian Seas. The operation includes 150 warships and support vessels, 120 aircraft, 10 coastal missile batteries, and around 15,000 personnel. The drill aims to maintain operational readiness and strategic control along Russia’s Arctic frontier.

Notes:
Recently, the Indian Army conducted a high-altitude tech demonstration exercise named ‘Divya Drishti’ in East Sikkim in July 2025. The exercise was aimed at enhancing battlefield awareness, surveillance, and fast decision-making. It was led by the Trishakti Corps and involved real-time use of ground platforms, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and drones in realistic scenarios. A key highlight was the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled sensors with secure communication networks.

Notes:
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful flight-tests of Pralay missile on July 28 and 29, 2025, from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. Pralay is an indigenously-developed quasi-ballistic missile with advanced guidance and navigation for high precision. It is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It uses solid propellant and can be launched from a mobile launcher. The missile has a range of 150 to 500 kilometers.

Notes:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will acquire more Israeli-origin Rampage supersonic air-to-surface missiles after their successful use in Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. Rampage missiles, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, are long-range precision strike weapons with a range of up to 250 km and supersonic speed, making them hard to detect. They are already integrated with IAF’s Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, MiG-29, and Indian Navy’s MiG-29K jets. The new order aims to equip all Rampage-compatible fighter aircraft and expand integration to other fleets.

Notes:
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kadmatt completed a three-day port call at Surabaya, Indonesia recently. INS Kadmatt is an indigenous stealth anti-submarine warfare corvette built under Project 28. It is the second of four such corvettes built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata. The ship was commissioned into the Indian Navy in January 2016. It is part of the Eastern Naval Command and named after Kadmat Island in Lakshadweep. Its main role is anti-submarine warfare to protect convoys and ports from submarine attacks.

Notes:
During Operation Sindoor, India deployed the AI-enabled X-Guard Fibre-Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) system to enhance fighter aircraft survivability against hostile radar and missile threats. The X-Guard Fibre-Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) system was developed by Israel. It is manufactured by the Israeli defense firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. It is retractable, reusable, and mimics a Rafale aircraft’s radar signature, doppler velocity, and electronic countermeasures across multiple radar bands. The system provides 360-degree jamming capability and integrates with the Rafale’s SPECTRA (Self-Protection Equipment Countering Threats to Rafale Aircraft) electronic warfare suite.