Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurated the Final Assembly Line (FAL) for H125 helicopters at Vemagal Industrial Area in Kolar district, Karnataka (near Bengaluru). The facility marks India’s first private-sector helicopter manufacturing plant. It will manufacture the H125 helicopter. Initial production capacity: 10 helicopters per year, scalable to meet a projected demand of 500 units over 20 years. The first “Made in India” H125 is expected to roll out by early 2027. The H125 is globally known for its “hot and high” performance, including the record landing on Mount Everest.

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Indian Coast Guard inaugurated India’s first Waterjet Production and Testing Facility of Marine Jet Power in Goa on 13 February 2026. The facility will manufacture, test and maintain advanced waterjet propulsion systems for high-speed vessels. It supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat by reducing dependence on foreign technology. India became the third country after the United States and South Korea to host such a facility. Indian Coast Guard operates over 100 Marine Jet Power systems and 42 more are under construction. It will support maintenance, regional exports, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, skilled jobs and defence indigenisation.

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Reports indicate that Iran is close to finalising a defence deal with China to procure CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles to strengthen its naval strike capability. The CM-302 is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by China and is the export variant of the YJ-12 missile deployed by the Chinese Navy. The missile is specifically designed to target and destroy large naval vessels and other high-value maritime assets. It is powered by a liquid direct-flow air-breathing jet engine with four air intakes, enabling sustained high-speed flight. The missile can travel at speeds of around Mach 2.5 to Mach 3, making it extremely difficult for enemy air defence systems to intercept.

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INS Anjadip commissioned into Indian Navy at Chennai Port on 27 February 2026. It is the fourth ship under Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft project. It is named after Anjadip island near Karwar, it is designed for anti-submarine operations in shallow coastal waters. It has over 80 percent indigenous content, promoting Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence. The 77 metre, 1400 ton ship has advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare suite and Combat Management System. It follows INS Arnala and INS Androth in this series.

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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.

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Recently, the President of India undertook a sortie in the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand at Air Force Station Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It is an indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is the only attack helicopter in the world capable of landing and taking off at 5,000 metres (16,400 feet). It has advanced stealth features, armoured protection and night attack capability. It has crash-resistant landing gear for better survivability. It reduces radar and Infrared (IR) signature and has a countermeasure dispensing system against enemy missiles.

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The United States has raised concerns about the capabilities of Iran’s Shahed attack drones. Shahed drones are low-cost, one-way-attack unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Iran. These drones are also called “kamikaze” or “suicide” drones as they explode on impact with their targets. The most widely used variants of Shahed drones are Shahed-131 and Shahed-136. Their low cost, low-altitude flight profile, and self-sacrificial nature have earned them the label “the poor man’s cruise missile.”

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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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The Indian Army’s Southern Command conducted Exercise Amogh Jwala at the Babina Field Firing Ranges, Uttar Pradesh, to demonstrate high-tempo mechanised warfare capabilities. The exercise showcased the integrated use of advanced military assets, including attack helicopters, fighter aircraft, drones, counter-drone systems, and modern battlefield technologies. It was conducted in a multi-domain operational environment, combining land, air, cyber, and space elements to reflect modern warfare requirements. The drill emphasized synchronisation of fire and manoeuvre, along with real-time drone-enabled surveillance and target acquisition.

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The NATO is deploying the U.S. Patriot Missile Defence System to the southern province of Adana to strengthen regional air defence capabilities. PATRIOT stands for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target. It is a ground-based, mobile missile defence system developed by the United States. The system is designed to detect, track, and intercept aerial threats with high precision.