Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, Indian Coast Guard Ship Sankalp visited Port Louis in Mauritius as part of overseas deployment in the Indian Ocean Region. It is the fifth Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Indian Coast Guard, commissioned in 2008. The ship is indigenously built by Goa Shipyard Limited. It is designed for maritime surveillance, Exclusive Economic Zone protection, search and rescue, and law enforcement. The vessel is 105 metres long with an endurance of 6,500 nautical miles and a displacement of about 2,325 tonnes. It has advanced navigation and communication systems and can operate Advanced Light Helicopter and Chetak helicopters.

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The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police conducted Exercise Agni Pariksha in Arunachal Pradesh. It was a joint training exercise to improve coordination and combat teamwork between the two forces. This was the first exercise of its kind focusing on inter-force operational integration. Personnel from Spear Corps, artillery regiments, infantry battalions, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police took part. Non-artillery soldiers were trained in artillery procedures and firing missions.

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The sail training ship (STS) INS Tarangini arrived in Visakhapatnam for the International Fleet Review (IFR) and MILAN exercise starting February 18. INS Tarangini is the Indian Navy’s first sail training ship. It became the first Indian naval ship to circumnavigate the globe in 2003‑2004. Its primary role is to instill courage, camaraderie, and endurance in officer cadets starting a naval career. The ship provides hands-on training in sailing, setting and furling sails, watch-keeping, and sail manoeuvres.

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The Southern Air Command conducts a high-tempo joint maritime exercise named Kalari Leap in the Lakshadweep and Minicoy archipelago. The exercise validates joint planning, rapid force projection and precise operations in complex maritime environments. The Armed Forces Special Operations Division and the Indian Coast Guard participate in the joint drill. Indian Air Force assets operate alongside Coast Guard ships, Gemini boats and Dornier 228 aircraft. The exercise demonstrates readiness for integrated air, maritime and special operations in island territories.

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The Integrated Fire and Manoeuvre Exercise Agni Varsha was conducted at Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, by the Southern Command of the Indian Army. The exercise highlighted combat effectiveness of mechanised forces operating across multiple domains. Foreign defence journalists from 25 countries witnessed the exercise, observing speed, accuracy, and synchronisation of Combined Arms formations in the Thar Desert. Agni Varsha incorporated modern battlefield technologies: unmanned aerial systems, counter-drone measures, precision strike rockets, artillery platforms, and networked surveillance assets.

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Prime Minister’s second state visit to Israel focuses on defence cooperation and acquiring Sky Sting missile for Indian Air Force (IAF). Sky Sting is a 6th-generation Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). It is developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Limited, an Israeli defence technology company. It is lightweight and can be fitted on Tejas Mk1A and Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets. It has a strike range of about 250 kilometres. It uses a three-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor and can reach speeds above Mach 5.

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President Droupadi Murmu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended Exercise Vayu Shakti. Exercise Vayu Shakti was held at Pokhran, Rajasthan. Indian Air Force showcased operational readiness, combat power and rapid response capability. Advanced systems like Akash, SpyDer, Short Range Loitering Munitions and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems were demonstrated. Day, dusk and night operations showed versatility and high preparedness. Exercise highlighted success of Operation Sindoor and focus on Aatmanirbhar Bharat with indigenous platforms.

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The United States carried out strikes on Iranian targets using advanced weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighter jets, B-2 bombers, and low-cost one-way attack drones. Tomahawk is an United States of American (USA)-made long-range subsonic cruise missile used for deep land attack. It is launched from ships or submarines through a Vertical Launch System. It was first developed in the 1970s during the Cold War. It can carry a 1,000-pound conventional warhead or cluster munitions. It uses solid propellant at launch and later a turbofan engine, reducing infrared detection.

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Recently, Israel reportedly used the Blue Sparrow missile in a strike in Tehran, targeting Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. The Blue Sparrow missile is part of an air-launched ballistic missile family that also includes the Black Sparrow missile and Silver Sparrow missile. It is developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli defence technology company. The missiles were originally designed as target missiles for testing the Arrow missile defence system of Israel. Later, the Blue Sparrow was modified into an offensive air-to-surface missile. It is about 6.5 metres long and weighs around 1.9 tonnes. The missile is usually launched from fighter aircraft such as F-15 jets, which boost it to high altitude.

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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.