Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri took part in the bilateral maritime exercise AUSINDEX 2025 in the Northern Pacific. AUSINDEX is held between India and Australia and has been conducted biennially since 2015. Aim of the exercise is to boost interoperability and strengthen the strategic partnership between both maritime nations. Warships and aircraft of both navies carried out joint operations including anti-submarine warfare, gunnery drills, and advanced flying operations. INS Sahyadri participated from India and HMAS Ballarat participated from Australia.

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The 14th edition of Exercise Ekuverin 2025 has started from 2 December and will run till 15 December at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. “Ekuverin” means “Friends” in the Dhivehi language and it began in 2009. It is a bilateral annual military exercise conducted alternately between India and the Maldives. It involves the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces. It focuses on Counter Insurgency (CI) and Counter Terrorism (CT) operations in semi-urban, jungle, and coastal areas. It also promotes niche technology integration, sharing of best practices, and regional peace and security.

Notes:
Goa Shipyard Limited handed over ICGS Amulya, the third of eight Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), to the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel is 51.43 m long, 330 tonnes, and uses Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP) for better fuel efficiency. It has a top speed over 27 knots and a range of 1,500 nautical miles. It will be crewed by 6 officers and 35 sailors. It is built for fisheries protection, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. The ship will strongly boost India’s coastal and offshore security.

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Exercise Harimau Shakti 2025 is a joint military exercise conducted between India and Malaysia at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan from 5–18 December 2025. The Indian Army is represented by troops from the DOGRA Regiment, while Malaysia is represented by the 25th Battalion Royal Malaysian Army. The exercise aims to jointly rehearse Sub-Conventional Operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate, focusing on realistic counter-terrorism scenarios. Both armies practice full tactical drills such as cordon, search and destroy missions, heliborne operations, securing helipads and casualty evacuation.

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The Indian Navy deployed INS Gharial and three other naval vessels under Operation Sagar Bandhu to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to cyclone-affected regions of Sri Lanka. INS Gharial (L23) is a Magar-class amphibious warfare ship of the Indian Navy designed for transporting troops, vehicles, and equipment for amphibious operations. It is the second indigenously built Landing Ship Tank (Large), highlighting India’s growing shipbuilding capabilities. The ship was constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). INS Gharial is among the largest ships of the Indian Navy and is part of the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command.

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In response to the growing threat from sub-sonic cruise missiles, the Indian Army is undertaking a significant strategic shift by repurposing its Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) to strengthen low-altitude air defence capabilities. This move reflects the Army’s focus on countering modern aerial threats that fly low, evade radar, and target critical military and civilian infrastructure. MANPADS are portable surface-to-air missile systems that can be operated by an individual soldier or a small team to engage aerial targets. These systems are commonly known as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, enhancing battlefield mobility and rapid deployment.

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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully completed User Evaluation Trials of the Akash Next Generation (Akash-NG) missile system. Akash-NG is a modern Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) defence system developed by DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). It is designed to protect vital areas from enemy air attacks. It is the advanced successor of the Akash missile. The new version is lighter and more advanced. It uses an indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, dual-pulse solid rocket motor, and fully indigenous radars with Command, Control, and Communication (C2) systems.

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President Droupadi Murmu undertook her maiden submarine sortie on December 28. She boarded the Kalvari-class submarine INS Vaghsheer at Karwar naval base. With this, she became the second President of India to go on a submarine sortie. The first Indian President to do so was Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. INS Vaghsheer is a Kalvari-class submarine of the Indian Navy. The event highlights civilian leadership’s close engagement with India’s naval forces. It reflects confidence in India’s indigenously built and advanced submarine capabilities

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Pakistan Air Force recently conducted a successful flight test of the indigenously developed Taimoor Weapon System. Taimoor is an air-launched cruise missile developed by Pakistan. It is designed to hit enemy land and sea targets with high precision. It uses subsonic turbojet propulsion, enabling efficient long-range flight. The missile has a strike range of up to 600 kilometres with a conventional warhead. Its stealth features include a box-shaped fuselage, X-type tail, and foldable wings. It flies at very low altitude to evade enemy air and missile defence systems.

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The Indian Army has declared 2026 as the ‘Year of Networking & Data Centricity’ to build a future-ready force. The focus is on stronger connectivity, real-time decision-making, and higher combat effectiveness. Jointness, self-reliance, and innovation are the core pillars of military power. Data centricity treats data as a key combat asset shared across platforms instantly. This enables faster targeting, efficient troop movement, and better resource use. It shifts the Army from platform-centric to network-centric warfare. The initiative supports indigenisation, defence modernisation, and seamless Army–Navy–Air Force operations.