Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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On July 22, 2025, Turkey unveiled its first hypersonic ballistic missile, named Tayfun Block-4, in Istanbul. The launch took place on the opening day of the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025. Tayfun Block-4 is the hypersonic version of Turkey’s longest-range indigenous missile, Tayfun. “Hypersonic” means it travels at least five times the speed of sound, or Mach-5. It was developed by Turkish defense company Roketsan. It uses a GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and INS (Inertial Navigation System) for guidance.

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) will retire the Russian-made MiG-21 Bison fighter jets by September 2025. This marks the end of India’s longest-serving combat aircraft era. MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (OKB) of the former Soviet Union. It was first inducted into the IAF in 1963 as India’s first supersonic jet. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactured 657 MiG-21s under a Russian license. It is the second most produced jet aircraft globally.

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The Indian Army recently conducted Exercise Drone Prahar at Rayang military station in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It is a high-tech military drill to validate the use of drone technology in tactical battlefield operations. The exercise focused on using drones for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It tested real-time sensor-to-shooter coordination and precision targeting capabilities. The goal was to boost command reach and situational awareness for tactical commanders.

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Recently, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) started building its first indigenously made Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) at Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd. shipyard in Goa. This marks a milestone under a contract signed on 24 October 2024 with the Ministry of Defence to build six such hovercraft. The ACV is based on Griffon Hoverwork designs but is customized by Indian experts for coastal security tasks. These ACVs will improve ICG’s speed, flexibility, and operations in shallow waters. They will boost patrolling, interdiction, and rescue missions along India’s long coastline.

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The United States military unveiled a mockup of China’s HQ-16 missile at the Experimental Aircraft Association ‘AirVenture Show’ in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. HQ-16 is a Chinese Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system with NATO name CH-SA 16. It is based on Russia’s Buk missile family. It is designed to target aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It uses a vertical launch system for 360-degree coverage in complex terrains.

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Post Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is pushing for rapid progress on Project Kusha. Project Kusha, also called Program Long Range Surface to Air Missile (PGLRSAM), was approved in 2022 with a budget of ₹21,700 crore. It is an indigenous initiative led by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop a long-range air defence missile system. Phase 1 includes four interceptor variants: M1 (range 150 km), M2 (250 km), M3 (350–400 km), and Naval variant (200–300 km). Phase 2 aims to develop an even longer-range interceptor exceeding 600 km. The project strengthens India’s strategic air defence capabilities.

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India will soon induct its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Aridhaman, enhancing strategic defence capabilities. INS Aridhaman is the second Arihant-class SSBN being built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre, Visakhapatnam. The submarine is 112 meters long, 15 meters wide, with a draft of 10 meters, and a displacement of 7,000 tonnes. It will carry a larger number of K-4 missiles and have a complement of about 95 officers and sailors. It features an underwater communications system, twin flank-array sonars, and Rafael broadband expendable anti-torpedo countermeasures.

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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.

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Indian Army organised the maiden Exercise Aarogya Setu at Rupai, Doomdooma in Tinsukia district of Assam. It was the first civil-military medical fusion exercise in the region. It aims to strengthen cooperation between Army Medical Corps, senior civil doctors, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), and Northern Frontier Railway Hospital, Tinsukia. The focus was on joint response of Army and Civil medical teams during disasters and war-like situations. A doctor from Northern Frontier Railway Hospital introduced the concept of train ambulances for large-scale casualty evacuation.

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More than 700 personnel from the Armed Forces and Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff joined Multilateral Exercise Bright Star 2025 in Egypt from August 28 to September 10, 2025. Exercise Bright Star is hosted by Egypt with the United States since 1980 and is among the largest Tri-Service multilateral exercises in the region. It is held biennially, with the last edition in 2023 also featuring India. India’s participation highlights its commitment to regional peace, stability, security, interoperability, and cooperation with friendly nations.