Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics and Defence (SED) signed a joint venture to produce the HAMMER Weapon System in India. HAMMER stands for Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range, developed by French company Safran. It is an air-to-ground precision-guided weapon system, also called a glide bomb. It has a range of up to 70 km and can be attached to 250 kg, 500 kg, and 1,000 kg standard bombs. It is resistant to jamming, can be launched from low altitudes, and works well over rough terrain.

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A new Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility will be set up in Bengaluru to support the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, boosting India’s defence self-reliance. The C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin of the United States of America (USA). It is the principal tactical cargo and personnel transport aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF) and is the latest variant of the C-130 Hercules. The aircraft can operate from rough and dirt airstrips and is used for airdroppping troops and equipment in hostile areas.

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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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Indian Army received the last 3 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, completing a fleet of 6, based at 451 Army Aviation Squadron, Jodhpur (Rajasthan). AH-64E Apache, also called Apache Guardian, is the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter in the world. It performs advanced reconnaissance, precision strikes, and close air support missions. It was developed by the United States. AH-64E is the latest and most upgraded version used by the United States Army.

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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) inducted its first Pollution Control Vessel (PCV), Samudra Pratap, at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). Samudra Pratap is the first indigenously designed and built PCV of the ICG. The vessel was formally delivered during an induction ceremony. It is equipped with a 30 millimetre CRN-91 gun and two 12.7 millimetre stabilised remote-controlled guns with integrated fire control systems. The vessel has over 60% indigenous content, supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives. Samudra Pratap will aid marine pollution control, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and protection of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

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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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Indian Army signed a ₹293 crore contract with private defence firm NIBE Limited, in collaboration with Israel, for the Suryastra rocket system. Suryastra is India’s first Made in India universal multi‑calibre rocket launcher. It is designed for precision surface‑to‑surface strikes up to a range of 300 kilometres. The system can engage multiple targets simultaneously at different ranges. It can integrate and fire multiple types of rockets from a single platform. It offers high accuracy with a strike error of less than 5 metres. It can also launch loitering munitions up to 100 kilometres, enhancing battlefield flexibility.

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Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh commissioned ICGS Samudra Pratap, India’s first indigenously designed pollution control vessel, built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), on 5th January 2026 in Goa. The ship is the largest in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) fleet and has over 60% indigenous content, with plans to increase to 90%. It enhances the ICG’s capabilities in pollution control, firefighting, maritime safety, coastal patrol, and extended surveillance. It is equipped with advanced pollution detection systems, side-sweeping arms, skimmers, floating booms, and a pollution control lab, it can operate even in rough seas.

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The Indian Army recently conducted Exercise ‘Sanjha Shakti’, a joint Military–Civil Fusion exercise. It took place at the Dighi Hills Range, Khadki Military Station, under the Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa Area of the Southern Command. The exercise aimed to strengthen coordination between the armed forces and civilian agencies for complex security challenges and emergency situations.

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Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab showcased the RBS-15 missile’s ability to destroy parts of the Russian S-400 air defence system. RBS-15 stands for Robotsystem-15 and is a fire-and-forget anti-ship missile with land-attack capability. It is a surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missile developed by Saab Bofors Dynamics of Sweden. The missile is 4.35 metres long, weighs about 800 kilograms at launch, and flies at subsonic speed of Mach 0.9. It has a range of about 200 kilometres with a 200 kilogram high-explosive warhead. It flies low over the sea, performs evasive manoeuvres, and has low radar and infrared signatures.