Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The 7th edition of the joint military exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN between India and Japan has commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia, in Uttarakhand. The exercise is being conducted from 24 February to 9 March 2026. The exercise is held alternately in India and Japan and serves as an important pillar of defence cooperation between the two countries. The primary objective of Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN is to strengthen military collaboration and enhance joint operational capabilities in a semi-urban environment.

Notes:
Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully conducted three consecutive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. VSHORADS stands for Very Short-Range Air Defence System and it is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS). It is indigenously designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat under DRDO with other laboratories and production partners. It is a lightweight, short-range, surface-to-air missile used to destroy aircraft and helicopters. Maximum range is 8 kilometres and it can engage targets up to 4.5 kilometres altitude.

Notes:
Kheybar Shekan Missile is a long-range solid-fuel ballistic missile developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran. Recently, Iran claimed that IRGC used Kheybar Shekan missiles to target the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an Israeli Air Force command centre. The missile belongs to the Khorramshahr missile family and represents an advanced generation of Iran’s missile system. It has an approximate range of about 1,450 kilometres, enabling strikes across much of the Middle East region. It uses solid fuel technology, which allows faster launch preparation, easier storage, and improved mobility.

Notes:
Agray, an anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, has been delivered to the Indian Navy. It is the fourth of eight ASW Shallow Water Crafts, aimed at strengthening coastal defence capabilities. The vessel is indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. It is a reincarnation of the earlier INS Agray, a patrol vessel decommissioned in 2017. The ship has been constructed as per standards of the Indian Register of Shipping. It uses waterjet propulsion, making it among the largest Indian naval warships to use this technology. It is equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers, and advanced shallow water SONAR systems for effective submarine detection.

Notes:
Yard 1280 (Shachi), the first of eleven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs), was launched at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Goa on 31 March 2026. Construction of NGOPVs is happening concurrently at GSL, Goa and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. These indigenously built ships will augment the existing fleet of ten Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs)/Next-generation OPVs (NOPVs) for multi-domain operations including defence, surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR), and anti-piracy missions.

Notes:
Exercise Brahmastra, a major live-firing exercise by the Indian Army, was held at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The purpose of this exercise is to showcase the combat capabilities of the newly inducted AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and test coordination between air and ground forces. The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a multi-role attack helicopter equipped with a 30 mm chain gun, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, and rockets for precision strikes. The exercise tested operational readiness, coordination between pilots and ground crews, and precision targeting in simulated battlefield conditions.

Notes:
Exercise DUSTLIK 2026 has commenced in Namangan at the Gurumsaray Field Training Area from 12–25 April 2026. It is the 7th edition of the India–Uzbekistan joint military exercise, conducted annually on an alternating basis between the two countries. The previous edition (2025) was held at Aundh, Pune in India. It aims to enhance military cooperation and joint operational capabilities in semi-mountainous terrain.

Notes:
Russia has approved the sale of the R-37M (Russian long-range air-to-air missile), also known as AA-13 Axehead (North Atlantic Treaty Organization reporting name), to India to enhance its air combat capability. The missile is designed for BVR (Beyond Visual Range) combat, allowing it to strike targets at very long distances without direct visual contact. It is developed to destroy enemy fighter jets, drones, and other aerial threats effectively. The missile is nicknamed an “AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) Killer” because it can target high-value aircraft like radar planes, refuelling tankers, and jamming systems.

Notes:
The Ministry of Home Affairs received an indigenous satellite imaging system Prajna, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation through CAIR (Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics), to improve real-time decision-making for security agencies. The AI-enabled Prajna system is designed to monitor sensitive regions and support counter-terrorism operations, thereby strengthening internal security. DRDO and the Indian Navy successfully conducted in-flight trials of ADC-150 (Air Droppable Container with 150 kg capacity) from the P-8I aircraft off the Goa coast.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation and Indian Navy conducted the maiden salvo launch of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR) off the Bay of Bengal near Odisha. NASM-SR is India’s first indigenous helicopter-launched anti-ship missile, replacing the Sea Eagle missile. It has been developed by Research Centre Imarat with other DRDO labs. The missile has a range of about 55 km and supports fire-and-forget capability in all weather conditions. It uses a solid booster and long-burn sustainer propulsion system.