Defence Current Affairs MCQs

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The Malwan has been delivered to the Indian Navy as part of efforts to strengthen coastal defence capabilities. It is the second of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC) being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited at Kochi, and is indigenously designed and constructed. The vessel is named after Malwan and carries forward the legacy of the former INS Malwan, a naval minesweeper that served until 2003. It is designed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), coastal surveillance, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), and mine warfare.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Yildirimhan Missile is a prototype intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) unveiled by Turkey to strengthen defence self-reliance and expand its strategic military capabilities. The missile is capable of targeting regions across Europe, Africa, and Asia if launched from Turkey. Yildirimhan can reportedly travel at speeds up to Mach 25, which is nearly 25 times the speed of sound and falls under hypersonic speed range. It uses four rocket propulsion engines and is powered by liquid nitrogen tetroxide fuel, which improves range and payload capacity.

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Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Achal was recently commissioned by the Indian Coast Guard at Goa Shipyard Limited. It is a new-generation Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), and “Achal” means firm. It is the fifth among eight Fast Patrol Vessels being built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel is powered by two 3000 kilowatt advanced diesel engines and can achieve a top speed of 27 knots. It has an operational endurance of 1500 nautical miles and includes advanced systems such as Integrated Bridge System and Automated Power Management System.

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Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Air Force successfully conducted flight-tests of the RudraM-II air-to-surface missile from an airborne platform. The tests were conducted under extreme release conditions and successfully validated the performance of all major subsystems. The missile accurately hit a predefined target, and all objectives were confirmed through data collected by the Integrated Test Range.The weapon was specifically designed and developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a nodal DRDO laboratory based in Hyderabad.

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India will participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 from 20 July to 7 August 2026 along with 18 other nations. Exercise Pitch Black is a biennial multinational air exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is considered the flagship international flying exercise of the RAAF. The name “Pitch Black” comes from the emphasis on night-time flying operations over large unpopulated areas.

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Recently, China’s state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) aired footage of the launch of the Dongfeng-17 (DF-17) hypersonic missile for the first time. The DF-17 is a Chinese solid-fueled medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile officially unveiled in 2019. The missile has an operational range of about 1,800–2,500 km and is deployed on a mobile launcher. It carries the DF-ZF Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV). After launch, the warhead separates at high altitude and re-enters the atmosphere. The glide vehicle maneuvers at speeds of Mach 5–10.

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Bharat Dynamics Limited recently secured an order worth ₹1,109.37 crore from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to supply launchers for HELINA missiles. HELINA (Helicopter-launched NAG) is an indigenous, third-generation, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation. It is the helicopter-launched version of the Nag missile, while its Air Force variant is called Dhruvastra. The missile has a range of 500 m to 7 km and uses an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker with lock-on before launch guidance.