Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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The Chief of the Air Staff recently inaugurated the Mudh-Nyoma airbase in Ladakh by landing a C-130J aircraft there. Mudh-Nyoma is an Indian Air Force (IAF) base in southeastern Ladakh at 13,700 feet. It is just 23 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. It is now the fourth IAF base in Ladakh, India’s highest airfield, and the world’s fifth highest. It lies near the southern bank of Pangong Tso and earlier had a mud landing strip. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) began upgrading it in September 2023.

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Indian Navy unveiled the crest of INS Mahe, the first Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Shallow Water Craft. The crest features the Urumi sword from Kerala’s martial art, symbolizing stealth, precision, and lethality. Rising waves on the crest represent India’s maritime vigilance. Named after the historic town of Mahe, the ship’s motto is “Silent Hunters”. It reflects the ship’s anti-submarine warfare role in shallow and coastal waters. The unveiling highlights India’s naval indigenisation and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

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Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri took part in the bilateral maritime exercise AUSINDEX 2025 in the Northern Pacific. AUSINDEX is held between India and Australia and has been conducted biennially since 2015. Aim of the exercise is to boost interoperability and strengthen the strategic partnership between both maritime nations. Warships and aircraft of both navies carried out joint operations including anti-submarine warfare, gunnery drills, and advanced flying operations. INS Sahyadri participated from India and HMAS Ballarat participated from Australia.

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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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The 10th edition of India–Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI commenced at the Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The exercise is conducted from 03 to 12 December 2025 and is a bilateral exercise between the Indian Army and Indonesian Army. The Indian contingent comprises troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), while the Indonesian contingent includes personnel from Indonesian Special Forces. The exercise aims to enhance mutual understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between both Special Forces.

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Exercise Harimau Shakti 2025 is a joint military exercise conducted between India and Malaysia at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan from 5–18 December 2025. The Indian Army is represented by troops from the DOGRA Regiment, while Malaysia is represented by the 25th Battalion Royal Malaysian Army. The exercise aims to jointly rehearse Sub-Conventional Operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate, focusing on realistic counter-terrorism scenarios. Both armies practice full tactical drills such as cordon, search and destroy missions, heliborne operations, securing helipads and casualty evacuation.

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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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Exercise Ekatha 2025 was held in Maldives from 15–17 December 2025. Exercise Ekatha, established in 2017, is an annual bilateral maritime exercise, conducted between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The 8th edition focused on interoperability and operational synergy through technical/combat diving, boarding operations, firing drills, demolition, explosive handling, asymmetric warfare, and special heli-borne drills.

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Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 335, named “The Ospreys”, was commissioned at INS Hansa, Goa on 17 December 2025. It is the second Indian Naval Squadron to operate MH-60R multirole helicopters after the first was commissioned in Kochi in March 2024. MH-60R helicopter is an all-weather, day-night platform capable of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Search and Rescue (SAR), Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) and Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP). The induction of MH-60R helicopters will greatly enhance the Indian Navy’s aviation strength and maritime operations on the Western Seaboard.

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Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarthak is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) that made a port call at Chabahar, Iran. It is the 4th of 5 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPVs) built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) are multi-mission platforms for concurrent operations. It was commissioned on 28 October 2021. It functions as a command platform for search and rescue, anti-maritime crime, and marine environment protection duties.