Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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Iran recently used its Fattah hypersonic missile in strikes on Israel, raising global security concerns by bypassing defence systems like Iron Dome. Fattah is a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile developed by the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran. It was unveiled in November 2022 on the death anniversary of Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the father of Iran’s missile program, and inducted in 2023.

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Recently, the United States entered Israel’s war with Iran by launching precision strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites using Tomahawk cruise missiles and GBU-57 bunker buster bombs. Tomahawk is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile developed by the United States Navy for land-attack missions. It is launched from ships or submarines using a Vertical Launch System for highly accurate strikes. Tomahawks were first used in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm and have been used in several conflicts since then, including Syria in 2017.

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Recently, the Indian Navy announced it will commission its new stealth multi-role frigate Tamal on 01 July 2025 at Kaliningrad, Russia. Tamal is part of the Krivak class frigates that India has been inducting from Russia over the last two decades. The name Tamal represents the mythical sword used by Indra, the King of the Gods, in battles. The frigate was built at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.

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Recently, INS Udaygiri, the second ship of Project 17A stealth frigates, was delivered to the Indian Navy. Project 17A is a follow-on of the Shivalik class frigates under Project 17 already in service. INS Nilgiri is the first indigenously built stealth frigate under Project 17A. A frigate is a multi-role vessel used for protecting fleet surface ships against enemy ships and aerial threats. These multi-mission frigates can operate in a Blue Water environment to tackle both conventional and non-conventional threats around India’s maritime interests.

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Recently, the Defence Ministry called the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) project an “exemplary mission mode success”. Indigenously made ATAGS will replace vintage and smaller-calibre artillery guns in the Indian Army. ATAGS is a large-calibre gun system capable of firing future Long Range Guided Munitions (LRGM) with precision and deep strike. It has been designed and developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a Pune-based lab under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

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Recently, India successfully destroyed two Aerial High-Speed Unmanned targets in Ladakh using Akash Prime missile. Akash Prime is an upgraded version of the Akash surface-to-air missile system designed for high-altitude use. It is a medium-range missile meant to defend mobile, semi-mobile, and static military assets from aerial threats. It features an indigenous Radio Frequency seeker for precise target tracking in the final flight phase. It can target threats at a range of 25 to 30 kilometers.

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On July 22, 2025, Indian Army received the first batch of three Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from the United States at Hindon Airbase. These helicopters will be deployed in Jodhpur with the Army Aviation Corps after Joint Receipt Inspection. Apache helicopters will strengthen India’s operational capabilities along the Western Border. The $600 million deal for six Apache helicopters was signed in 2020. The next batch of three helicopters will arrive by November 2025. Apache AH-64E is a state-of-the-art combat helicopter, enhancing strike power in challenging terrains.

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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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Recently, the Indian Army conducted a high-altitude tech demonstration exercise named ‘Divya Drishti’ in East Sikkim in July 2025. The exercise was aimed at enhancing battlefield awareness, surveillance, and fast decision-making. It was led by the Trishakti Corps and involved real-time use of ground platforms, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and drones in realistic scenarios. A key highlight was the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled sensors with secure communication networks.