Correct Answer :   India-Mongolia

An Indian Army contingent comprising 43 personnel left for Mongolia on Sunday (16th July 2023) to take part in a joint military exercise — 'Nomadic Elephant 2023' — between India and Mongolia, the Ministry of Defence stated in a release.

As reported by ANI, the Ministry of Defence stated in a release, “In Indian Army contingent comprising 43 personnel left for Mongolia on Sunday to take part in a joint military exercise — 'Nomadic Elephant 2023' — between India and Mongolia."

The ministry further stated that this will be the 15th edition of the exercise between the two nations.

The exercise is scheduled at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from July 17-31.

#IndianArmy contingent will participate in the 15th Edition of India-Mongolia joint military exercise #NomadicElephant at #Mongolia. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability between both Armies in conducting counter-terrorist operations in mountainous terrain under the #UN… pic.twitter.com/PbUqHo1Es7

— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) July 16, 2023

The exercise — 'Nomadic Elephant' — is an annual training event between India and Mongolia, which is conducted alternatively in the two countries, the release stated, adding that the last edition of the joint drills was held at Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, in October 2019.

Soldiers of the Mongolian Armed Forces Unit 084 and Indian Army jawans from the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment will be participating in the exercise.

Aim : This exercise aims to build positive military relations, exchange best practices, and develop inter-operability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship between the two armies, the release from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated, adding that the exercise will primarily focus on counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.

The scope of this exercise involves a Platoon level Field Training Exercise (FTX).

Indian and Mongolian soldiers will participate in a joint exercise called 'Nomadic Elephant 2023' aimed at improving their skills and capabilities. The activities during the exercise will include endurance training, reflex firing, room intervention, small team tactics, and rock craft training.

The soldiers will have the opportunity to learn from each other's operational experiences, strengthening the defence cooperation between the Indian Army and Mongolian Army.

The exercise signifies the commitment of India and Mongolia to regional security and cooperation and will contribute to the development of bilateral relations between the two nations..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   INS Sunayna

INS Sunayna was at Seychelles from 10-12 Jul 23 to participate in Op Southern Readiness 2023 conducted by Combined Maritime Forces(CMF).



The visit was aimed at strengthening multilateral ties and enhancing cooperation through CMF exercise which is a multinational initiative aimed at enhancing maritime security, countering piracy to ensure safety and freedom of navigation in the region.

During the visit, personnel of participating Navies from USA, Italy, UK, Seychelles Defence Forces & Marine Police, member nations of EUNAVFOR were engaged in wide range of professional interactions, subject matter expert exchanges and visits.

The ship conducted lecture and practical demonstrations on varied aspects of Navigation, VBSS (Basic and Advanced training), Maritime Domain Awareness and mass casualty evacuation drills. A delegation of CMF from Bahrain headed by Cmde Oliver, Commander of CTF56 witnessed the training exercises onboard.

A combined yoga session was organised onboard with participation of personnel from Seychelles Defence Forces and CMF along with the ship's crew..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   26 Rafale fighter Jets

The defence ministry on Thursday (13th July 2023) approved plans to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines for the Indian Navy from France.

* “A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), held under the chairmanship of defence minister Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals on July 13, 2023," the ministry said in a statement.

* The DAC has granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French government based on Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA).

* The price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries.

* Integration of Indian designed equipment and establishment of Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations.

* The DAC also granted AoN for procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under Buy (Indian) category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   North Korea

North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Wednesday (12th July 2023), a launch also reported by Japan's military.

The missile was still flying, according to a Japanese Defence Ministry official quoted by broadcaster NHK.

No further details were immediately available about the launch, which came barely a month after North Korea's last launch and is its twelfth such launch this year.

The launch also comes after North Korea made heated complaints in recent days over U.S. military activities, accusing American spy planes of violating airspace in its economic zones and condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine.

This year North Korea has test fired its first ever solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and conducted a failed attempt to launch its first-ever spy satellite on a new launch vehicle.

United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches.

The Security Council, as well as a number of nations, have imposed sanction on North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons programmes..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   4th

According to the latest ranking of 2023 by Global Firepower, a data website containing information related to the defense of the countries of the world, India is the fourth most powerful army country in the world.

USA is on top in this list. In this ranking, after the US, Russia and China are in second and third place respectively.

Countries with weak military forces have also been included in this list, which includes countries like Bhutan and Iceland.

India ranks above European countries like UK and Italy.

Correct Answer :   United States

The navies of India and the United States carried out a 11-day military exercise in Kochi, Kerala that focused on boosting interoperability and operational coordination.

* The seventh edition of the Salvage and Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercise concludes on Thursday (6th July 2023), the Indian Navy said.

* The two navies have been participating in joint salvage and EOD exercises since 2005.

* The exercise saw deployment of frontline warships from both sides in addition to specialist diving and EOD teams.

* "The diving teams of both the countries shared experiences on maritime salvage and trained together in various facets of EOD operations on land as well at sea," the Indian Navy said in a statement.

* It said the exercise also saw the conduct of joint training exercises towards enhancing interoperability, cohesiveness and gaining from best practices in maritime salvage and EOD operations.

* "The constructive engagements on operational terms enhanced the skill-sets of the diving teams in a number of diverse disciplines such as mine detection and neutralisation, wreck location and salvage," the Navy said..

Source : BQ Prime

Correct Answer :   Visakhapatnam

The seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) hosted by the Indian Navy, is being conducted at/ off Visakhapatnam from 05 -10 July 2023. This edition marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX, since its inception in 2012.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) units under the command of RAdm Nishiyama Takahiro, Commander Escort Flotilla One, and Indian Naval ships under the command of RAdm Gurcharan Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet are participating in the exercise.



JIMEX 23 will witness the participation of INS Delhi, India's first indigenously built Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, fleet tanker INS Shakti, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier, ship-borne helicopters and fighter aircraft. JMSDF will be represented by the guided missile destroyer JS Samidare and its integral helicopters.

The exercise will be conducted over six days in two phases - a Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam comprising professional, sports and social interactions, after which, the two navies will jointly hone their warfighting skills at sea and enhance their interoperability through complex multi-discipline operations in the surface, sub-surface and air domains.

Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, JIMEX 23 provides an opportunity to learn from each other's best practices and facilitates operational interactions between IN and JMSDF to foster mutual cooperation and reaffirm their shared commitment towards maritime security in the region..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   India-United States

India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA on 21 June 2023. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).

Shri Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event on 20-21 June 2023.

A reception for Indian and US Government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was orgainsed on 20 June 2023. Amb. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address.

Mr. Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, gave the opening keynote address on 21 June at the INDUS-X event. He stated that the India-US relationship is growing exponentially. He emphasised that there is enormous potential for startups of both nations to collaborate in deeptech innovations, especially in Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain.

Shri Anurag Bajpai, in his welcome remarks on “Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations”, hailed the launch of iCET as a landmark event in India-US relationship. He said this was an opportune moment for this event, as the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies of the world meet in Washington.

The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US start-ups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focussing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of “Make in India, for the world”..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Mahindra

Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra has started delivering Armado, an Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV) to the Indian armed forces.

The Armado has been designed by and developed by Mahindra.


Mahindra Defence Systems Armado: What does the vehicle do?

* The Armado has been designed keeping in mind a variety of roles the armed forces may use it for. It can adapt and successfully perform in a wide variety of operational roles, MDS said. The Armado gets ballistic protection up to B7, Stanag Level II.

* According to MDS, the Armado can be utilised in counter-terrorist operations by facilitating patrolling in conflict-hit areas. It can carry security personnel and support special forces operations and quick reaction teams.

* It can also carry ammunition and can act as a reconnaissance vehicle, a border security vehicle. Given its design and build, it can operate effectively in tough terrains like open fields or even in deserts.

* It is powered by a mighty 3.2-litre, turbocharged, direct-injection diesel engine and can also operate on Nato-grade diesel.

* This engine produces 215hp and 500Nm of peak torque, an Autocar India report said. Power is delivered to all its wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission system.

* The Armado can do speeds of more than 120kmph and despite its heavy built, it can attain 0-60 kmph in just 12 seconds. The vehicle has a payload capacity of 1,000kg.

* It gets 318/80 R17 profile tyres that can operate with a puncture or even without any air in the tyres. The Armado has a centralised tyre inflation system installed onboard and it can be customised as either a left-hand drive or a right-hand drive vehicle.

* While it can seat six passengers, including the driver, it can be configured to accommodate up to eight passengers..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Mongolia

The Indian Army Contingent is participating in the multinational peacekeeping Joint Exercise "Ex Khaan Quest 2023" in Mongolia.

Defence Ministry said, Military contingents and observers from over 20 countries are participating in this exercise.

President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh inaugurated (19th June 2023) the Exercise.
 
The Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the Garhwal Rifles.

The 14-day exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability of the participating nations, sharing experience, and training uniformed personnel for the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.

The exercise will prepare participants for future UN Peacekeeping missions, develop peace operations capabilities and enhance military readiness.

The exercise includes Command Post Exercise, Field Training Exercises, combat discussions, lectures, and demonstration.

The Ministry said, the military exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation between Indian Army and participating countries, especially with the Mongolian Armed Forces which will enhance bilateral relations between the two countries..

Source : AIR