Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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In September 2025, the Indian Army (IA)’s 1st Armoured Division conducted Exercise Jal Shakti in Patiala, Punjab. The drill validated water obstacle crossing capabilities under operational conditions. It aims to enhance mobility and operational preparedness of mechanised and armoured forces in riverine terrain. The exercise integrated armour, mechanised infantry, engineers, artillery, and air defence with real-time reconnaissance. It strengthened operational preparedness, offensive momentum, and role of the Corps of Engineers.

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The Indian Navy recently concluded the Jal Prahar 2025 joint exercise with the Indian Army along the eastern seaboard. It is a biannual joint amphibious exercise to strengthen synergy and interoperability between the two forces. The exercise aims to enhance operational readiness, maritime security, and national defence capabilities. The Harbour Phase was held at Visakhapatnam with induction of army troops onboard INS Gharial, onboard training, safety briefings, orientation, and camaraderie activities. The Sea Phase of Jal Prahar 2025 was held from September 21 to 23 at Kakinada. It showcased amphibious operations to test joint capabilities.

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Pakistan recently tested its new long-range cruise missile Fatah-IV successfully. It is an indigenously developed missile with a range of 750 km. The missile can fly at Mach 0.7 speed (865 kmph). It weighs around 1,530 kg and is 7.5 metres long. It can be launched from transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicles. It uses solid-propellant propulsion for quick launch readiness.

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INS Sutlej arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius, for the 18th Joint Hydrographic Survey between India and Mauritius. It is a specialised Hydrographic Survey Vessel of the Indian Navy. The ship was built by Goa Shipyard Limited and commissioned in 1993. It is based at Kochi under the Southern Naval Command. It has advanced surveying and navigation systems like Multi-Beam Swath Echo Sounder, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), and Motion Sensors. It also carries Sea Gravimeter, Magnetometer, Oceanographic Sensors, and Side Scan Sonars.

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Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with the Integrated Defence Staff and Tri-Services, released Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) Standard 1.0. It is India’s first national specification for Software Defined Radios (SDR). IRSA 1.0 standardizes how different radio systems communicate securely and efficiently. Its vision is to make IRSA a global benchmark and promote export of IRSA-compliant SDR solutions to friendly nations. It defines interfaces, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), execution environments, waveform portability, and SDR interoperability. It was developed under the Standardization of Indigenous SDR initiative by the Directorate of Standardization (DoS), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD).

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A week after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Washington visit, the United States (US) confirmed supplying advanced air-to-air missiles to Pakistan. Pakistan will receive AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) under a modified arms contract with Raytheon, US defence company,valued at over $2.51 billion. The AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile with “fire-and-forget” capability, speed up to Mach 4, and all-weather operation. AMRAAM is developed by the United States, compatible with F-16 jets, and also used on F-15, F-22, F-35, and other fighter aircraft worldwide.

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Taiwan will build a more defensive air system called “T-Dome” to counter China’s military actions. President Lai Ching-te unveiled T-Dome to modernise Taiwan’s defence sector and increase military and political pressure. Taiwan is expanding its military and defence spending but faces pressure from China’s large and advanced military. T-Dome supports Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare approach, creating a multi-layer defence shield. Taiwan aims to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2030. T-Dome strengthens Taiwan’s ability to target larger military forces despite Beijing’s rising defence budget and new weapons development.

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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently announced plans to extend the range of the Astra Mark 2 air-to-air missile to over 200 kilometres. Astra Mark 2 is a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile developed by DRDO. More than 50 public and private industries, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), contributed to its development. The Astra Mark 1 missile with a 90–100 km range is already in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and integrated with LCA Tejas and Su-30 MKI jets. Astra Mark 2 will enhance India’s air combat superiority and may also be exported to friendly nations.

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Ukraine recently carried out a bold strike on a Russian chemical plant in Bryansk using UK-made Storm Shadow long-range missiles, breaching Moscow’s air defenses. Storm Shadow is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile. It was jointly developed by the United Kingdom and France. The missile is called SCALP in France. It is designed for stealth and precision strikes in all weather conditions. It targets high-value stationary assets like airbases, radar sites, and communication hubs. It is used by the air forces of Egypt, India, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. India has integrated SCALP missiles with Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force.

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India has launched its annual Trishul 2025 tri-Service combat exercise along the western border with Pakistan. It involves the Army, Navy, and Air Force and follows Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s warning over Pakistan’s military buildup near Sir Creek. Sir Creek is a 96 km tidal estuary between Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and Pakistan’s Sindh province. India issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) restricting airspace from October 30 to November 10, while Pakistan also restricted routes on October 28–29. The exercise, though routine, is larger and more complex this year.