Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) was conducted off the coast of Paradip in Odisha. Paradip is a major deep-water port on the east coast of India, located at the confluence of the Mahanadi River and the Bay of Bengal. The exercise is designed to test coordinated maritime and aeronautical responses to mass-rescue emergencies at sea. It helps strengthen interoperability among the Indian Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and local port administrations to ensure swift operations during large-scale maritime contingencies.

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Recently, GE Aerospace announced the shipment of four F404-IN20 turbofan engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A. The F404-IN20 is a low-bypass, afterburning turbofan engine manufactured by the U.S.-based GE Aerospace. GE Aerospace is contracted to supply 99 such engines to HAL. Tejas is India’s indigenously designed Light Combat Aircraft. Its design and development are led by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), while HAL is the principal manufacturing and production partner. ADA was established in 1984 under the Ministry of Defence and is headquartered in Bengaluru. It functions under the Department of Defence Research and Development (DRDO).

Notes:
INS Trishul, an Indian Navy warship, arrived at Plymouth, United Kingdom, to participate in Exercise KONKAN-26. Exercise KONKAN is a bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. The exercise is conducted in two phases off Plymouth. Over the past two decades, KONKAN has evolved in scale and complexity, strengthening interoperability and mutual understanding between the two navies. The exercise aims to improve operational cooperation and the ability to operate together in complex maritime situations. The exercise reflects the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlined in India–UK Vision 2035.

Notes:
INS Mangrol is the third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 12 October 2026 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The ship has been constructed with over 80% indigenous content, promoting the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Its primary objective is to detect and counter submarine threats in coastal and shallow waters. The ship is equipped with the Abhay Hull-Mounted Sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Maareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System. It is powered by three diesel engines with waterjet propulsion, enabling high manoeuvrability in shallow waters.

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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) inducted an indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK-III, designated CG 875, at Coast Guard Air Station, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. The helicopter was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute at the Coast Guard Region (West). It is equipped with advanced radar, an Electro Optical Pod (EOP) for long-range imaging and identification, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS). The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III, also known as the HAL Dhruv Mk-III, is an indigenous multi-role helicopter developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The helicopter is designed for multiple roles, including search and rescue, reconnaissance, surveillance, transport and maritime security.

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INS Sudarshini recently visited Salalah, Oman, during its transoceanic deployment named Lokayan-2026. INS Sudarshini is an indigenous, three-masted sail training ship of the Indian Navy, built by Goa Shipyard Limited and commissioned in 2012. The ship is primarily used to train naval cadets in seamanship, navigation, ship-handling and leadership skills. In January 2026, INS Sudarshini began its Lokayan-2026 transoceanic deployment from Kochi. The deployment promotes maritime diplomacy, international goodwill and professional exchanges between the Indian Navy and friendly foreign navies.

Notes:
In October 2026, Nagpur-based Solar Defence & Aerospace Limited delivered the indigenously developed Nagastra-2 Anti-Tank Loitering Munition System to the Indian Army. Nagastra-2 is a loitering munition that combines the surveillance capabilities of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with the ability to carry out precision strikes against targets. The system has an operational range of up to 25 km in recover-and-reuse mode and 50 km in fire-and-forget mode. It is equipped with a 4 kg tandem shaped-charge warhead designed to penetrate armour protection equivalent to up to 650 mm of Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA). Nagastra-2 can remain airborne for up to 60 minutes and is fitted with surveillance cameras that enable day-and-night operations.

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The 7th edition of the annual joint military exercise DUSTLIK 2026 was conducted at the Gurumsaray Field Training Area in Namangan, Uzbekistan. The exercise involves the Indian Army and the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan. DUSTLIK is a bilateral military exercise designed to strengthen defence cooperation and improve interoperability between the armed forces of the two countries. The exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations, particularly tactical operations in semi-urban terrain. It provides an opportunity for both armies to exchange operational experience, share tactical best practices and improve coordination during joint missions.

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The fifth edition of Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026, a bilateral India–US tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, commenced at the Maritime Warfare Centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The exercise is conducted as a tabletop exercise to strengthen coordination, joint planning and interoperability between the armed forces of India and the United States. It focuses on planning combined joint all-domain operations to support large-scale disaster relief missions. The Indian contingent includes personnel from the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Special Forces.

Notes:
The multinational military exercise named ‘Koalicja’ commenced in Poland. The exercise brought together Ukrainian forces alongside international partner forces to conduct simulated operations in air defence, maritime security, logistics, and counter-unmanned aerial systems (counter-drone operations). The primary objective of the exercise is to enhance operational interoperability, command-and-control procedures, and readiness for potential support missions in the European theatre. Unlike formal NATO alliance operations, such multinational drills often involve ad-hoc coalitions focused on specific security objectives without automatically triggering mutual defense obligations.