Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
INS Trikand will participate in the 58th National Day celebrations of Mauritius, reflecting India–Mauritius maritime cooperation. It is a Talwar-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy and the third and final ship of the second batch of this class. The ship was built at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad in Russia and commissioned on 29 June 2013 at Kaliningrad. It operates under the Western Fleet of the Western Naval Command (WNC) headquartered at Mumbai.

Notes:
The Indian Army’s Southern Command conducted Exercise Amogh Jwala at the Babina Field Firing Ranges, Uttar Pradesh, to demonstrate high-tempo mechanised warfare capabilities. The exercise showcased the integrated use of advanced military assets, including attack helicopters, fighter aircraft, drones, counter-drone systems, and modern battlefield technologies. It was conducted in a multi-domain operational environment, combining land, air, cyber, and space elements to reflect modern warfare requirements. The drill emphasized synchronisation of fire and manoeuvre, along with real-time drone-enabled surveillance and target acquisition.

Notes:
The Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Nilgiri is participating in the Sea Phase of the Royal Australian Navy-hosted multinational Exercise KAKADU 2026 in Darwin, Australia. The exercise focuses on enhancing maritime interoperability, strengthening cooperation, and improving mutual understanding among participating nations. It serves as a key engagement for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), bringing together numerous nations to promote maritime security. This participation highlights India’s commitment to building a secure, stable Indo-Pacific region through strengthened naval cooperation

Notes:
The Indian Army has started fielding Shaurya Squadrons, which are dedicated drone sub-units within armoured regiments. Shaurya Squadrons provide tank commanders with real-time surveillance and precision-strike capability at the unit level. Each squadron has 20 to 30 personnel trained in drone and counter-drone operations. They operate surveillance drones, attack drones, swarm drones, first-person view (FPV) drones, and loitering munitions.

Notes:
Indian Navy hosted IMEX TTX 2026 (IONS Maritime Exercise Tabletop Exercise 2026) at Maritime Warfare Centre, Southern Naval Command, Kochi. It involved members of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and international officers to discuss maritime security. Countries like Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste participated. India assumes IONS Chairmanship (2026–2028) after 16 years.

Notes:
Agray, an anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, has been delivered to the Indian Navy. It is the fourth of eight ASW Shallow Water Crafts, aimed at strengthening coastal defence capabilities. The vessel is indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. It is a reincarnation of the earlier INS Agray, a patrol vessel decommissioned in 2017. The ship has been constructed as per standards of the Indian Register of Shipping. It uses waterjet propulsion, making it among the largest Indian naval warships to use this technology. It is equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers, and advanced shallow water SONAR systems for effective submarine detection.

Notes:
The Malwan has been delivered to the Indian Navy as part of efforts to strengthen coastal defence capabilities. It is the second of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC) being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited at Kochi, and is indigenously designed and constructed. The vessel is named after Malwan and carries forward the legacy of the former INS Malwan, a naval minesweeper that served until 2003. It is designed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), coastal surveillance, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), and mine warfare.

Notes:
North Korea confirmed testing new cluster-warhead systems on Hwasong-11A short-range ballistic missiles, designed to destroy wide targets. The Hwasong-11A (also known as KN-23) is a short-range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. The tests demonstrated the ability to disperse bomblets over a 6 to 7-hectare area using Hwasong-11 missiles, aiming to maximize damage against soft targets and infrastructure.

Notes:
Exercise Brahmastra, a major live-firing exercise by the Indian Army, was held at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The purpose of this exercise is to showcase the combat capabilities of the newly inducted AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and test coordination between air and ground forces. The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a multi-role attack helicopter equipped with a 30 mm chain gun, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, and rockets for precision strikes. The exercise tested operational readiness, coordination between pilots and ground crews, and precision targeting in simulated battlefield conditions.

Notes:
Balikatan Exercise is the largest bilateral military drill between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Armed Forces. The term “Balikatan” means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” symbolising the strong alliance between the Philippines and the United States. It is conducted annually, with the first edition held in 2001. The 2026 exercise (41st edition) will be held from 20 April to 8 May 2026. Around 17,000 troops from seven countries—Philippines, USA, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand—will participate. The exercise aims to enhance regional security through joint operations and interoperability.