Defence Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
‘Missile Cum Ammunition Barge, LSAM 10 (Yard 78)’ was built by MSME Shipyard, SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd (SEPPL), located in Visakhapatnam for the Indian Navy.
The project is to construct eight such barges for the Indian Navy and this is the fourth barge. The barges are used in transportation, embarkation and disembarkation of articles/ ammunition to Indian Naval Ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbours.

Notes:
The Indian Armed Forces contingent, consisting of 81 personnel are set to participate in the second edition of the Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND-23.
The exercise is scheduled to take place in Perth, Australia. Exercise AUSTRAHIND was instituted in 2022 and the first edition was conducted in Mahajan, Rajasthan.

Notes:
The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for procurement of 16 Upgraded Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) along with associated equipment/ accessories for Indian Navy under Buy (Indian) category at a total cost of ₹2956.89 Cr.
The upgraded SRGM, which will be manufactured by BHEL is a medium caliber anti-missile/anti-aircraft point defence weapon system which provides a sustained rate of fire and high accuracy.

Notes:
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers delivered the largest survey vessel built in India, INS Sandhayak to the Indian Navy on Navy Day 2023.
INS Sandhayak is the first in a series of four Survey Vessels (Large) being built by GRSE. INS Sandhayak is the first of four advanced Survey Vessels (Large) or SVLs. It is a new version of a previous ship with the same name, which was a survey vessel in the Indian Navy from 1981 to 2021. These survey ships are capable of full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port and harbour approaches as well as the determination of navigation channels and routes.

Notes:
Defence Ministry signed a Rs 588.68 crore contract with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) for the acquisition of Digital Coast Guard (DCG) project, under the Buy (Indian) category.
At its core, the project marks the establishment of a Tier-III standard Data Centre, armed with the latest technological capabilities. It enables centralised monitoring and management of applications deployed by the ICG, ensuring vigilant oversight of critical IT assets of the ICG.

Notes:
The name of the joint military exercise conducted between Indian and US Army Special Forces is “Vajra Prahar”. The 14th edition of this exercise concluded in December 2023 at the Joint Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya. It aims at sharing best practices between the special forces of both armies in areas like joint mission planning and counter-terrorism operations. The context is that such military collaborations enhance defense ties and interoperability between India and the US.

Notes:
It is former Army Chief General M M Naravane’s forthcoming memoir “Four Stars of Destiny” that mentions the armed forces were taken by surprise when the Agnipath military recruitment scheme was introduced. Gen Naravane writes he had proposed a Tour of Duty model for limited jawan intake but what came up as Agnipath applied to all new recruits in Army, Navy and Air Force, that too for only 4 years.

Notes:
Recently late Vice-Admiral Benoy Roy Chowdhury has been awarded the Vir Chakra. He was the hero of the India-Pakistan war of 1971. In this war, Benoy Roy was posted as an engineer on INS Vikrant. ‘Veer Chakra’ is an award given for military bravery during wartime.
Vice Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar, AVSM, NM, VSM (Retd), currently holding the position of Distinguished Chair Marine Engineering at INS Shivaji, received the ‘Vir Chakra’ on behalf of the Indian Navy. Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav was the recipient of the prestigious Param Vir Chakra award in 2022. Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav of the 18 Grenadiers Battalion (Retd) is the youngest person to win the Param Vir Chakra award.

Notes:
Unveiled on Navy Day 2023, the Indian Navy’s new shoulder rank insignias (epaulettes) for senior leadership draw design elements from the Naval Ensign and legendary Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Features like the golden button and octagon shape reflect indigenization efforts and long-term strategic vision respectively. The insignia artfully integrates symbols of the sword, telescope, and ‘Rajmudra’ seal used by Shivaji in special decrees, blending India’s rich maritime heritage with its glorious history. The creative vision signifies the Navy’s cultural shift towards ‘swadeshi’ under the current government.

Notes:
Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh has taken over as the new Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy from Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani. The Chief of Materiel is the head of the Materials Branch of the Navy, dealing with logistics and maintenance. Vice Admiral Deshmukh is an alumnus of VJTI Mumbai and a postgraduate from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.