Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the Prime Minister of India celebrated Deepavali aboard INS Vikrant and praised armed forces’ unity during Operation Sindoor. INS Vikrant is India’s first indigenously designed and manufactured aircraft carrier. It was designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited. The carrier was commissioned in 2022. It measures 262 metres in length and 62 metres in width, with 14 decks. Its full-load displacement is 43,000 tonnes.

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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.

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In October 2025, Pravaig Dynamics Private Limited unveiled VEER, an Electric Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (E-TATV). It is India’s first defence Electric Vehicle (EV) and among the world’s first operational electric tactical vehicles for military use. The VEER has passed military trials and is recognized under the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme.

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The Indian Navy is set to commission ‘INS Ikshak’, the third vessel of the Survey Vessel (Large) [SVL] class, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. INS Ikshak will be the first SVL-class ship to be based at the Southern Naval Command. It is an indigenously built hydrographic survey vessel designed for coastal and deep-water mapping of ports, harbours, and navigational channels. The vessel ensures safe maritime navigation and supports India’s blue economy operations.

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In November 2025, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri reached Guam in the Northern Pacific to join the multilateral Exercise Malabar-2025. The participation reaffirms India’s strong partnership and commitment to regional security and maritime cooperation. INS Sahyadri is an indigenously built Guided Missile Stealth Frigate, symbolising the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision. The 29th edition of the Malabar Naval Exercise began on November 10, 2025, at Guam, a key United States (US) military base in the western Pacific Ocean. The exercise involves the navies of India, the United States, Japan, and Australia.

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The Ministry of Defence recently signed a deal with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to procure INVAR Anti-Tank Missiles worth over ₹2,095 crore to strengthen T-90 tank firepower. INVAR is an Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) fired from the barrel of T-90 tanks. It offers long-range precision strikes and can destroy tanks with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA). It is built by Russia’s Rosoboronexport and produced in India under licence by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). It uses semi-automatic laser beam-riding guidance, making it resistant to jamming.

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An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent has reached Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France for the bilateral air exercise Garuda-2025, held from November 16 to 27. Exercise Garuda is a bilateral air exercise conducted between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force. The exercise reflects the strong India–France strategic partnership in defence, technology, and security. The drill aims to boost interoperability, share best practices, and further strengthen defence cooperation between the two air forces.

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The United States State Department has approved a possible sale of Javelin missiles and Excalibur projectiles to India worth 92.8 million USD, strengthening India–U.S. defence ties. The Javelin missile is an American-made, man-portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) jointly developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. It is designed to destroy main battle tanks, light armoured vehicles, fortifications, bunkers, and even helicopters. It entered United States military service in 1996 and uses fire-and-forget technology, guiding itself after launch.

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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted Coastal Security Exercise Sagar Kavach-02/25 along the Maharashtra and Goa coastline from 19–20 November 2025. The two-day exercise involved over 6,000 personnel and more than 115 sea and air assets. It demonstrated high inter-agency coordination, operational readiness, and robust capabilities to counter maritime security threats and Anti-National Elements (ANEs) targeting coastal assets. The exercise improved interoperability, communication networks, and coordination among security, intelligence, and port management agencies.