Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 was held at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from 24 to 28 February 2025. It is a tri-service special forces exercise conducted by the Indian Air Force. Participants included the Indian Army’s Para (SF), Navy’s Marine Commandos, and Air Force’s Garud (SF). The exercise focused on interoperability, coordination, and synergy among special forces. It included airborne insertion, precision strikes, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, combat free falls, and urban warfare.

Notes:
According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the second-largest arms importer from 2020-24, though its imports fell by 9.3% compared to 2015-19. Ukraine became the world’s largest arms importer, with imports rising nearly 100 times. India’s arms imports from Russia fell to 36% in 2020-24 from 55% in 2015-19. India was the top arms buyer from both Russia and France. The U.S. led global arms exports with 43%, while Russia’s exports dropped by 64%. China exited the top 10 arms importers list for the first time since 1990-94, showing domestic production growth.

Notes:
The 6th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) and the 4th edition of the bilateral exercise ‘BONGOSAGAR’ between the Indian Navy and the Bangladesh Navy commenced on March 10, 2025. The naval exercises are being conducted in the designated maritime areas of the Bay of Bengal, near the Bangladesh and Indian maritime borders. These exercises are being held under the supervision of Commander Flotilla West and aim to enhance maritime security, strengthen cooperation, and combat various criminal activities at sea.

Notes:
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) successfully tested India’s Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) AF MK1 prototype off Chandipur, Odisha. The Astra missile made a direct hit on a flying target, proving its accuracy and effectiveness. All missile subsystems performed optimally, meeting mission objectives. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Astra can engage targets over 100 km away with advanced guidance and navigation systems. Already inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF), it enhances India’s air defense. The test brings India closer to inducting the LCA AF MK1A variant and strengthening indigenous defense systems.

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The Indian Navy recently took part in the Sea Dragon 2025 exercise, a multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) drill in the Indo-Pacific region. Exercise Sea Dragon 2025 was hosted by the United States Navy’s 7th Fleet, with the exercise taking place at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The drill involves maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) with advanced sensors and sonobuoys. Initially bilateral between the US and Australia in 2019, it expanded to include allies like India from 2021. Participating Nations are United States, Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea.

Notes:
The Defence Ministry signed ₹2,500 crore contracts for NAMIS (Nag Anti-Tank Missile System) and light vehicles. NAMIS (Nag Anti-Tank Missile System) was developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). It is a tracked version of the Nag Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) mounted on a BMP-2 chassis. A third-generation “fire-and-forget” missile, it locks onto targets using an Imaging Infrared (IIR) Seeker. It can destroy heavily armored tanks, including those with composite and reactive armor.

Notes:
The Indian Navy’s frigate INS Tarkash intercepted and seized over 2500 kg of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean during a maritime security operation. INS Tarkash is a modern stealth frigate of the Indian Navy. It belongs to the Talwar class of guided missile frigates, which are modified Krivak III-class frigates built by Russia. It was constructed at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 9, 2012, in Kaliningrad, Russia. INS Tarkash is part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet.

Notes:
The indigenously developed Hansa-3 trainer aircraft has been approved for training aircrew to get pilot licences. It will now be manufactured in India by private industry. Hansa-3 is India’s first indigenous flying trainer aircraft. It was designed and developed by the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-NAL), Bangalore. It was built to meet the needs of Indian flying clubs. It is ideal for Commercial Pilot Licensing (CPL) because of its low cost, simple operation, and low fuel consumption.

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The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) under Operation ATALANTA has proposed a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy. The exercise is planned to take place around the end of May 2025 in the Western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. The main aim is to strengthen maritime cooperation and coordination between European forces and the Indian Navy. The proposal comes due to rising piracy and instability in the Red Sea region, especially near the Horn of Africa. Unlike regular Passage Exercises (PASSEX), this drill will include tactical manoeuvres, counter-piracy actions, and communication training. Operation ATALANTA, launched in 2008, is the European Union’s mission to fight piracy near Somalia.

Notes:
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the first flight trial of the Stratospheric Airship Platform in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh. The platform was developed by DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) based in Agra. The airship carried an instrumental payload and reached a high altitude of about 17 kilometres. The total flight lasted 62 minutes and helped gather important data through onboard sensors. This data will help in building accurate simulation models for future high-altitude missions. The test also checked the envelope pressure control and emergency deflation systems, and the airship was safely recovered.