If you are defence aspirants then you will face few defence related questions in AFCAT CDS and NDA exams. Also, you will face defence related questions during your personal interview in SSB.  Candidates who are preparing for the AFCAT NDA CDS exam and AFSB SSB interview in 2018 – 2019 can check the current affairs questions related to defence i.e. Indian army, navy, airforce and other direct and indirect defence related fields. These questions are important for your defence written exams and SSB interview.

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Defence Current Affairs Questions For AFCAT/NDA/CDS

Defence Current Affairs January 2018

1. The Defence Ministry has given its final approvals for the procurement of 131 Barak missiles for Indian Navy and 240 precision-guided munitions (PGM) for Indian Air Force (IAF) together estimated at Rs.1,714 crore. The proposals were cleared by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It is a regular procurement through the revenue expenditure.
2. China has successfully developed new underwater surveillance network to help its submarines get stronger lock on targets while protecting nation’s interests along maritime Silk Road, which also includes Indian Ocean. The project is part of unprecedented military expansion fuelled by China’s desire to challenge United States in world’s oceans.
3. On January 10, 2018, the Corps of Army Air Defence celebrated its 25th raising day. Corps of Army Air Defence is one of the active corps of Indian army tasked with protection of Indian air spaces from enemy aircrafts and missiles, specially below 5000 feet.
4. The Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved procurement of P-8I Training Solution for Indian Navy and Low Intensity Conflict Electronic Warfare System (LICEWS) for Indian Army at total cost of Rs 2419.32 crore.
5. Indian Navy has decommissioned INS Nirbhik and INS Nirghat warships at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai (Maharashtra), after a glorious 30 and 28 years respectively in the service of the nation.
6. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned a state-of-the-art patrol vessel at Karaikal in the Union Territory of Puducherry. It was commissioned by Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy. With the commissioning of the Coast Guard station at Karaikal now has five vessels.
7. The biennial search and rescue exercise between Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Japan Coast Guard (JCG) was held near Chennai, Tamil Nadu in Bay of Bengal. This was eighth such in series of ‘National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise’. Ships and aircraft of Coast Guards from India and Japan, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) took part in it.
8. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy has commissioned Rizhao, a new missile frigate, in a naval port in Dalian, China. It is China’s indigenous missile frigate named after Rizhao city in Shandong Province of China.
9. Indigenously developed long-range surface-to-surface Agni-5 ballistic missile was successfully test fired successfully from Abdul Kalam Wheeler Island, Odisha.
10. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has cleared procurement proposal of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines on fast track basis for Rs 3,547 crore.
11. Alpha Design Technologies Ltd. has signed Rs. 45-crore deal with Ministry of Defence to supply indigenous simulators for gunnery and missile firing from BMP II vehicles to Indian Army.
12. The second indigenously built offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipyard for Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was launched at Kattupalli Shipyard, Tamil Nadu. It is expected to be inducted into service by September 2018 after trials on the equipment.
13. Indian Navy has launched Scorpene submarine INS Karanj at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra. It the third Scorpene class submarine built by MDL under ambitious Project 75 of the Indian Navy.
14. The India-Vietnam Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX-2018) was conducted at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. It is the first military exercise between the two countries. The six day-long military exercise (from January 29 to February 3, 2018) was conducted as part of joint training undertaken with friendly foreign countries by Indian Army.

Defence Current Affairs February 2018

1. The Maratha Light Infantry celebrated 250 years of its existence on 4 February 2018. The first battalion of regiment was raised as ‘Second Battalion Bombay Sepoys’ on this day in 1768.
2. State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for first time has successfully flown home-made 5.8-tonne Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) with its own automatic flight control system. The 20 minute maiden flight of the multirole copter was flawless with the engagement of the flight control system throughout.
3. Indigenously developed short-range nuclear capable ballistic Agni-1 was successfully test-fired from mobile launcher located at Integrated Test Range of Dr Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) off the Odisha.
4. The Chief of US Air Force, General David L Goldfein flew a sortie in indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. With this he became first foreign military chief to fly Tejas aircraft. He was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal AP Singh as a co-pilot during the short flight.
5. China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has commissioned its new generation J-20 fourth-generation stealth fighter into combat service. With this, China became second country in world to commissioned domestically developed stealth aircraft after United States.
6. The Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) has constituted 13-member Raksha Mantri Advisory Committee on Ministry of Defence Capital Projects (RMCOMP).  It will be headed by former secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi.
7. Indian Army is contributing approximately 2300 personnel to support United Nations Peacekeeping Missions to South Sudan & (UNMISS) in order to bring peace and normalcy in the war-torn country.
8. The Indian Navy has unveiled the Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System (IAAMS) at INS Garuda, naval air station located in Kochi, Kerala. It is overall fourth air station installed with this integrated system.
9. Tri-service maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ was held off India’s western coast with an aim to build interoperability between Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.
10. The Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister has approved capital acquisition of 7.4 lakh assault rifles, 17,000 light machine guns, 5,719 sniper rifles and Mareech advanced torpedo decoy systems for Indian Navy worth Rs. 15,935 crore. DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on procurement.
11. Indian Army is contributing approximately 2300 personnel to support United Nations Peacekeeping Missions to South Sudan  (UNMISS) in order to bring peace and normalcy in the war-torn country.
12. Agni-II is two-stage nuclear capable surface-to-surface missile developed indigenously by DRDO. It is 21-metre long and weighs 17 tonnes. It has strike range of 2000 kilometres, which can also be increased to 3000km by reducing the payload. It is propelled by the solid rocket propellant system. It can carry a nuclear payload of 1 thousand kilograms.
13. Tri-service maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ was held off India’s western coast with an aim to build interoperability between Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard. This exercise includes participation of large number of ships, submarines and aircraft from Western Naval Command of Indian Navy and units from Eastern Naval Command, Indian Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.
14. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave approval to procure BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles for Indian Army and survey training vessel for Indian Navy at cost of Rs. 1, 850 crores. DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on procurement.
15. Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi (24) created history by becoming first Indian woman pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) to complete a solo flight in a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft. She had achieved this feat by completing half-an-hour long solo flight in Russian-origin jet in the skies over Jamnagar Air Base, Gujarat. The first solo flight is just initial step in exhaustive operational syllabus that transforms rookie pilots into full-fledged fighter pilots capable of handling high-voltage combat flying.
16. Nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Dhanush ballistic missile was successfully test-fired from naval ship off Odisha near Paradip in the Bay of Bengal. The missile test was carried out by Strategic Forces Command (SFC), the tri-services military command that controls all of India’s nuclear weapons and their associated delivery systems.
17. First night trial of nuclear-capable surface-to-surface short-range ballistic Prithvi-II missile was successfully conducted from a defence facility off Odisha coast. The indigenously developed missile mounted on Mobile Tatra transporter-erector Launcher (MTL) was test fired from launching complex III (LC-III) of Integrated Test Range (ITR). It was equipped with state of art guidance system and was fired in real-time situation.
18. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out first successful test-flight of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Rustom-2 in user configuration with higher power engine. The flight was conducted at its Aeronautical Test Range at Chitradurga in Karnataka and all its parameters were normal.
19. The Indian Navy is going to host 16 countries for multi-national 2018 MILAN exercise at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) islands from March 6 to 13, 2018. The eight-day mega naval exercise will be held under aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command with theme of Friendship across the seas.
20. The eighth edition Lamitye 2018, bilateral military exercise between Indian Army and Seychelles People’s Defence Force was held at Mahe Island in Seychelles archipelago. The Seychelles archipelago falls on one of most significant and busiest sea transport routes of the world in Indian Ocean.

Defence Current Affairs March 2018

1. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has approved various procurement proposals for three services estimated at about Rs. 9,435 crore. The proposals includes purchase of 41,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and over 3.5 lakh close quarter battle (CQB) carbines, High-capacity radio relay (HCRR) and two Pollution control vessels (PCV). DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on procurement.
2. Tri-service maritime exercise Paschim Lehar conducted by Indian Navy concluded off western coast in Arabian Sea. The objective of the exercise was to build interoperability between Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.
3. Indigenously developed Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) Nag was successfully test-fired in desert conditions against two tank targets at different ranges and timings. With this, the developmental trials of Nag missile have been completed and it is now ready for induction.
4. Bharati Defence and Infrastructure Ltd (BDIL) delivered high-speed interceptor boat ICG C-162 to Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at BDIL jetty in Mangaluru, Karnataka. It is fifth interceptor boat delivered by BDIL’s Mangaluru shipyard to ICG. The sixth boat will be delivered after three-and-a-half months of the delivery of the fifth boat.
5. The China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) has announced to build its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Liaoning by the middle of the next decade. It was announced as part of its list of ambitions hope to achieve in weaponry and technical developments for People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-Navy by 2025.
6. Joint investigation committee (JIC) comprising US and Indian officials has test-fired M777 ultra-light howitzers (ULH) at Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan. The team will review results of this test soon. The test was conducted in the wake of accident during its trial in September 2017.
7. Indian Navy’s sailboat INSV Tarini, led by all-women crew, reached Cape Town, South Africa as part of Navika Sagar Parikrama expedition. This stop is last phase of its maiden voyage to circumnavigate globe before it depart Cape Town and return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage.
8. Russia successfully launched high-precision aeroballistic Kinzhal hypersonic missile from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet. During the test, the missile launch was normal and it hit preset target on the test site. It also met its performance characteristics and time indicators.
9. India and France have inked strategic pact providing for use of each other’s military facilities including opening naval bases to warships. It was signed during official state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India. The agreement reflects growing depth between both countries in defence ties and comes amid China’s growing military expansionism in Indo-Pacific region.
10. Samvedna 2018, the first multilateral Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise of Indian Air Force (IAF) in association with South Asian Region nations was held off the coast of Kerala. The multilateral exercise was spearheaded by IAF and conducted by Southern Air Command (SAC) and involved representatives from air forces of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and UAE.
11. The MILES-18, first-ever multi-nation naval exercise at sea was held at the Andaman sea. The three days exercise was conducted as part of 10th edition of MILAN 2018. Milan 2018, a multi-national mega event was organised by Andaman Nicobar naval command with theme ‘Friendship Across the Seas’ to expand regional cooperation and combat unlawful activities in critical sea lanes.
12. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned interceptor boat ICGS C-437 at Porbandar, Gujarat as part of its efforts to strengthen coastal security. ICGS C-437 shall be based at Jakhau under administrative and operational control of commander Coast Guard Region (North West).
13. The Indian Air Force (IAF) for first time flawlessly landed its largest transport US-manufactured aircraft, C-17 Globemaster at strategic Tuting Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh, which is close to Chinese border. After the trial landing, C17 carried out operations mission and airlifted 18 tons of load.
14. The Indo-French joint naval exercise Varuna-18 was held in Arabian Sea off Goa coast. It was aimed to explore measures to facilitate operational-level interactions between their armed forces and increase mutual cooperation, considering the common global threats.
15. The Gulf Shield – 1 military exercise of 23 countries including Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states was held in Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. It was organised by Ministry of Defence of Saudi Arabia. The one month exercise was largest military drill in region as it saw participation of participation of ground, naval and air forces of participating countries.
16. Indian Navy’s indigenously built warship INS Ganga (F22) was decommissioned in Mumbai, Maharashtra after over three decades of service. The warship was commissioned in December 1985 and had represented big step forward in India’s indigenous warship building capability. The decommissioning ceremony was attended by several officers and men, many now retired, who had served on board ship.
17. Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was successfully flight-tested for first time with indigenously developed seeker at Pokhran test range, Rajasthan. So far, seeker, a critical technology in missiles was imported from Russia. During the test missile with India-made seeker flew in its designated trajectory and target with pin-point accuracy.
18. The Ministry of Defence has released draft policy on defence production that aims to make India one of the top five manufacturers of defence platforms with active participation of public and private sectors. The ministry has sought comments and suggestions of experts and stakeholders on policy. At present, India is one of the world’s largest importer of military platforms and weapons.
19. The Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) has delivered second Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) to Sri Lanka Navy. This was overall the fourth Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) delivered in the current financial year.

Defence Current Affairs April 2018

1. Pakistan has successfully test-fired its indigenously designed and built nuclear-capable, submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) Babur III. The missile was fired from underwater dynamic platform and successfully engaged its target with precise accuracy, meeting all the flight parameters.
2. Indian Navy conducted multi-agency humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise named ‘Chakravat’ meaning ‘cyclone’ with coordination of Kerala Government off Kochi Coast. The mandate of exercise was to review response mechanism in the event of a cyclonic storm. It was led by the Southern Naval Command at BTP Jetty of the Cochin Port.
3. The fourth of eight Mark IV LCU vessels – L54, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata was formally handed over to Indian Navy at GRSE, Kolkata. The first ship of Mark IV LCU vessels INS LCU 51 was commissioned into Indian Navy in 2016. Moreover, two more LCU ships L52 & L53 have been already delivered to Indian Navy.
4. Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to conduct Exercise Gaganshakti 2018, biggest air combat exercise along Pakistan, China borders between April 10 to 23, 2018. The aim of this exercise is real time coordination, deployment and employment of air power in short and intense battle scenario. Though it is IAF centric exercise, it will also be executed keeping in mind “Joint Operational Doctrine” so that requirements of other services are also met.
5. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia concluded joint military exercise “Desert Tiger 5” aimed at sharing expertise and enhancing joint military actions in Dubai, UAE. The military exercise was implemented within framework of UAE leadership’s continued desire to support and create unique partnerships between both countries in all areas.
6. India, South Korea joint anti-piracy, search and rescue exercise ‘Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018’ was conducted in Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast in Tamil Nadu. The exercise was conducted between Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Korean Coast Guard (KCG) as part of proposed establishment of MoU between them to improve maritime security in Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 10th edition of Defence Expo (DefExpo 2018) in Chennai at Tiruvidanthal, in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. The theme of the expo was “India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub ”. Under this, for the first time project India’s Defence manufacturing capabilities were showcased to the world.
8. Boeing India subsidiary of US aerospace manufacturer Boeing, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Mahindra Defence Systems entered into agreement to manufacture fighter aircraft F/A-18 Super Hornet in India. Three companies exchanged Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for Make in India fighter at on-going ‘DefExpo’ in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
9. Pakistan successfully test fired Babur Weapon System-1 (B), enhanced version of indigenously-built Babur cruise missile. The cruise missile is important part of Pakistan’s strategic deterrence.
10. Indian Army has signed Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with Axis Bank on Defence Salary Package. The first MoU between Axis Bank and Indian Army was signed in 2011 and was renewed in March 2015. The current MoU is tailor-made to suit e requirements of serving soldiers, pensioners and families. Recently, Indian Army had also signed similar MoU with HDFC bank.

Defence Current Affairs May 2018

1. The first ever bilateral joint military training exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI 2018 between India and Malaysia began in dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia. The exercise aims at bolstering cooperation and coordination between armed forces of both nations. It also seeks to share expertise of both contingents in conduct of counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain. This is for first time joint training exercise of this magnitude between Indian and Malaysia is being held on Malaysian soil.
2. South Western Command of Indian Army is conducting ‘Vijay Prahar’ exercise in Mahajan area close to Suratgarh in Rajasthan. In this exercise, over 20,000 troops are participating with fighting equipment for couple of weeks o fine-tune jointmanship with the Indian Air Force.
3. According to recently released report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has emerged as fifth largest military spender in 2017. India had spent $63.9 billion on defence in 2017, an increase of 5.5% compared with 2016, when it was in the sixth spot overall.
4. Indian and French navies conducted final and third phase of Varuna naval exercise 2018 near Reunion Island in Indian Ocean region (IOR) to enhance their operational coordination. In the final phase, both navies simulated different possible scenarios such as asymmetric warfare and tested their air defence capabilities.
5. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 58th Raising Day on 7 May 2018. BRO is leading government organisation in arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the country. Since its inception in 1960, it has grown from 02 to 19 projects. The works executed by it have ensured territorial integrity and socio-economic upliftment of most inaccessible regions of country.
6. NASA launched first-ever InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) lander dedicated to exploring the deep interior of Mars. It was launched aboard United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket also launched two mini-spacecraft called Mars Cube One (MarCO) — MarCO-A and MarCO-B.
7. Indian Army’s month long Vijay Prahar exercise concluded in Suratgarh, Rajasthan. It was conducted by South Western Command of Indian Army. The month-long exercise was aimed to orchestrate wide spectrum of threats including.
8. The third edition of United Nations Peacekeeping Course for African Partners (UNPCAP) was held in New Delhi from May 7 to 25, 2018. The course was conducted by Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping in India (CUNPK) in partnership with United States.
9. Indian Army has finalised Rs. 15,000-crore indigenous ammunition project under which range of ammunition for its critical weapons and tanks will be produced indigenously. It is claimed to be biggest ever initiative for indigenisation of ammunition. It aims to overcome long delays in imports and address problem of dwindling stockpile.
10. China’s first domestically manufactured aircraft carrier known only as “Type 001A” started sea trials from Dalian port in Liaoning province. The ship’s engine, propulsion and navigation systems will be tested at sea for first time, a year after it was officially launched. The name of the carrier was not revealed at the launch ceremony, but it is speculated that it will be named Shandong after province of same name.
11. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval for enhancement of budget by Rs.11,330 crore for Network For Spectrum (NFS) project. This is over and above Rs.13,334 crore already approved by Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure in July, 2012. With this, total budget for the network for Defence services has now gone up to Rs. 24,664 crore.
12. Indian Army has flagged off Women Officers’ Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II to explore maximum potential of women officers in the field of adventure sports. Mt. Bhagirathi-II (6512 metres) is located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Gangotri National Park. The peak rises right above the Gangotri glacier.
13. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from mobile launcher from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore (Chandipur), Odisha to validate some new features aimed at increasing its life from 10 to 15 years. The successful test will help in huge savings of replacement cost of BrahMos missiles held in inventory of Indian armed forces. It makes it first Indian missile whose life has been extended from 10 to 15 years.
14. Chetak corps of South Western Command of Indian Army conducted military exercise Gandiv Vijay in Mahajan field firing ranges of Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted two months to validate their operational plans of Chetak corps and concluded on May 23, 2018.
15. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has approved various measures to simplify Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on capital procurement of Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force).
16. Indian Navy’s six-member all-women Navy crew onboard of INSV Tarini vessel reached Panaji, Goa after circumnavigating around globe in 254 days under Navika Sagar Parikrama expedition. It was first-ever all women Asian and Indian circumnavigation expedition of globe . The expedition had started on September 10, 2017 in Goa was aimed at promoting women empowerment aligned with Government of India’s thrust for ‘Nari Shakti’.
17. United States had withdrawn invitation to Chinese navy to participate in 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise. The withdrawal was in response China’s continued illegal militarisation of islands in disputed South China Sea. RIMPAC 2019 is the 26th exercise of its type, after first being held in 1971. More than 25,000 naval officers from 29 countries are expected to take part in it.
18. The thirteenth edition of India-Nepal joint military exercise will be conducted at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand from 30 May to 12 June 2018. The joint military exercise aims to further enhance and strengthen level of defence cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.
19. Indigenously developed Rustom-II Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be delivered to armed forces by 2020 as per the contract. At present, its basic system is being perfected and attempts are being made to increase its flight altitude. Its manufacturing will be done by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd.
20. Indian Navy inducted Landing Craft Utility MK-IV LCU vessel L54 at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Island. It is fourth of total eighth Mark IV LCU vessels to be inducted into Indian Navy.
21. India and Pakistan held meeting of their coast guard officials (Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency) held in New Delhi. They addressed issues pertaining to boundary violations by fishermen from both sides and enhancing cooperation in area of maritime search and rescue and combating pollution at sea.
22. India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for Indian Air Force (IAF). They also have finalised financial component nearly Rs 40,000 crore of the deal.
23. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired upgraded guided version of Pinaka Rocket from Proof & Experiment Establishment (PXE) at Chandipur, Odisha. During the tests, two rounds were conducted and some more rounds have been planned.
24. United States has renamed its oldest and largest stragically important military command US Pacific Command (PACOM) to Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). The decision was taken in recognition of growing importance of Indian Ocean in US strategic thinking. The Trump administration already has renamed Asia Pacific as Indo-Pacific and identified India as one bookend of the region.

Defence Current Affairs June 2018

1. The world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC-2018) will see participation of 26 countries, including India. The exercise will be held from June 27 to August 2, 2018 in and around Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The theme for this year’s RIMPAC exercise is “Capable, Adaptive, Partners .” Four countries Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnamare are participating for first time. US had withdrawn invitation of Chinese navy in response to China’s continued illegal militarisation of islands in disputed South China Sea.
2. Trilateral Naval Exercise Malabar 2018 between India, Japan and United States will be held off the coast of Guam in Philippine Sea from June 6-15, 2018. It will be 22nd edition of the naval exercise. The exercise comes at time of increased friction between China and US along with nations bordering resource rich South China Sea (SCS) as China is militarising reclaimed islands in it to further strengthen its claim.
3. India successfully test fired its indigenously developed Agni- 5 missile on 3rd June. The missile was launched from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. Agni missile is a surface to surface missile and is launched with the help of mobile launcher of the Integrated Test Range at Dr Abdul Kalam Island formerly known as Wheeler Island. This is the 6th test fire of the state-of-the-art Agni 5 missile. The trial was a great success. The missile hit its target with great accuracy after covering its full distance. The entire flight was monitored by radars, tracking instruments and observation stations.
4. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out maiden flight test new surface-to-air missile (yet to get formal name) powered by Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion Technology. The test also successfully demonstrated technology of nozzle less booster for first time in the country.
5. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayana successfully evacuated 38 Indian Nationals after it entered Porbandar harbour in Gujarat. They were rescued from cyclone-hit Socotra island in Yemen under swift Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operation (HADR) code named Operation NISTAR.
6. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved proposal foe procurement of equipment for Defence Forces worth Rs. 5500 crore. These proposals were approved in line with Government’s goal of indigenisation and self-reliance in field of Defence Procurements. DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on capital procurement of Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force).
7. India’s first indigenous, long-range artillery gun Dhanush has successfully passed its final test at Pokhran, Rajasthan. This paves its way for induction into Indian Army. Earlier the gun had passed tests under severe cold conditions in Sikkim and Leh and in hot and humid weather in Balasore, Odisha, Babina in Jhansi. Indian Army has so far not inducted any new artillery guns since Bofors guns. It has placed an initial order for 114 Dhanush guns and is expected to order another 400 more.
8. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) recently commissioned interceptor ship ICGS C 439 at Mumbai, Maharashtra. Its induction will help to further enhance operational capabilities to undertake multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and medical evacuations along western coast.
9. India will host first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Countries in September 2018 in Pune, Maharashtra. The theme of the exercise includes counter-terrorism in semi-urban terrain and cordon and search.
10. Trilateral Naval Exercise Malabar 2018 between India, Japan and United States kicked off the coast of Guam in Philippine Sea. It will be 22nd edition of the naval exercise, which has now become an annual feature in deep military ties between India and US. It will be first naval wargame after US renamed its Hawaii-based Pacific command (PACOM) as Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) amid increased Chinese activities of building artificial islands in South China Sea and sending submarines into Indian Ocean.
11. The United States State Department has approved sale of six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters along with support equioments to India. The Apache choppers are one of the most advanced multi-role combat helicopters which have advanced weapons systems and night-fighting features, manufactured by Boeing.
12. The thirteenth edition of India-Nepal joint military exercise was held at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand from 30 May to 12 June 2018. The joint military exercise was aimed at further enhancing and strengthening level of defence cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.
13. The indigenously upgraded artillery gun Dhanush has successfully completed final user trials and is ready for induction into Indian Army. During third and final phase of user exploitation firings conducted from May 31 to June 7, 2018 at Pokhran field firing range, six Dhanush guns were fired in battery formation with 301 rounds each. With this test, Dhanush artillery gun has been tested in all terrains.
14. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has converted indigenous Pinaka rocket system into a precision-guided missile, with enhanced range and accuracy to hit its targets. The missile has completed its initial trial and now is undergoing developmental trials. It is expected to be delivered to Indian Army in two years and complies with its policy of use of precision weapons.
15. The Indian Army has drawn detailed plan to develop Jaisalmer Military Station in Rajasthan as smart facility patterned on Central Government’s Smart Cities Mission. The development plan will provide a major boost to local economy and aid in ecological conservation.
16. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned fast patrol vessel (FPV) ICGS Rani Rashmoni, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is fifth and last ship to be commissioned in the series of fast patrol vessel (FPV) project of ICG. The ship will be based at Visakhapatnam under the administrative and operational control of Commander, No.6 Coast Guard District Headquarters (Andhra Pradesh).
17. Indian Army is observing year 2018 as “Year of Disabled Soldiers in Line of Duty” to honour soldiers who have been disabled in line of duty. The primary focus of this initiative is to alleviate sufferings of these soldiers, who have done their duty with utmost dedication to nation and have been disabled for the life.
18. The pilot Training of Trainers (ToT) Course on Civilian Protection and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was held at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi from June 18 to 22, 2018. It was jointly held by Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), India and Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.
19. The tri-service joint military exercise Indra-2018 between India and Russia will take place at Indian military base in second half 2018. In this regard, Russian military delegation visited India to discuss logistics of the exercise. In this edition of exercise, combined military units of Russian Eastern Military District will participate in military drills. Members of Indian defence forces were also involved in planning of the exercise which included practical operations of units besides consumer services, catering and medical support for Russian units. In addition, they also agreed on procedure for receiving and servicing of military transport aircraft in India.
20. India and Bangladesh have agreed to institute Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) as an annual exercise between navies of two neighbouring countries. The first edition of CORPAT between two navies was inaugurated by Indian Navy’s Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba during his visit to Bangladesh. The aim Navy Chief’s visit was to consolidate bilateral defence relations between India and Bangladesh and to explore new avenues for naval cooperation.
21. The Indian Army contingent comprising of 7 Garhwal Rifles Infantry Battalion Group was awarded United Nations Medal for “selfless service”. The contingent is part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in South Sudan. It has been complimented for carrying out numerous operational tasks with utmost professionalism and dedication to the UN mandate. It has played an active and decisive role in ensuring peace and stability in violence hit Jonglei State of South Sudan.

Defence Current Affairs July 2018

1. The Union Ministry of Defence has sanctioned construction of 17 new baffle firing ranges at various Military Stations, Cantonments, Training Establishments. The proposed baffle shooting ranges can facilitate firing from 300 to 500 meters.
2. Indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas of No 45 Squadron (The Flying Daggers) of Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally commenced operations from Sulur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu. With deployment of Tejas, its squadron ‘Flying Daggers’ took up active wartime role towards safeguarding national skies.

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