Defence - General Knowledge Questions

Correct Answer :   Rafale Fighter Jets

In a first, Indian Rafale combat aircraft are likely to participate in a multinational wargame codenamed Orion which is being hosted by France involving many of its NATO and other important allies.

* Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets are likely to fly to France to participate in "Exercise Orion" being held at a French air base there.

* The wargames are planned to be held from the third week of April to May 5, 2023.

* The aircraft likely to take part in the exercise are likely to be from the Western Air Command of the force which has the Golden Arrows squadron as part of it, they said.

* The exercise is taking place in France with the Russia-Ikroane war in the backdrop where NATO led by US is opposing the Russian moves against Ukraine.

* The Rafales of the IAF have earlier participated in wargames with foreign countries which took place within India including the ones with French Air Force in Jodhpur codenamed Desert Knight.

* The French Air Force would be taking part in the wargames with its NATO and other allies with their Rafale and Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft.

* Orion is reportedly the largest ever multinational exercise being carried out by the French defence forces which have involved their Army, Navy and Air Force along with their allies the US and the UK.

* The Indian Air Force is also going to take part in Exercise Copeindia from 10th April 2023 in Kalaikunda, West Bengal. There is the possibility that the schedule of the drills and availability of American F-15 fighter planes may see some changes.

* The Rafale aircraft are the latest fighters to have been inducted into the Indian Air Force and are considered to be the most potent in the entire Asian region..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   North Korea

North Korea carried out an underwater nuclear attack drone "Haeil-2" test from April 4 to April 7, 2023.

* The underwater nuclear attack drone "Haeil-2" entered into the test in Kajin Port, Kumya County, South Hamgyong Province in the afternoon on April 4, 2023.

* It cruised 1000 km of simulated underwater distance in elliptical and "8" patterns set in the East Sea of Korea for 71 hours and 6 minutes.

* In the afternoon on April 7, 2023 it arrived in the waters off Ryongdae Port, Tanchon City, South Hamgyong Province, the place of simulated target, where the test warhead accurately detonated underwater.

* The system will serve as an advantageous and prospective military potential of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) essential for containing all evolving military actions of enemies, removing threats and defending the country.

* North Korea has ramped up its military activities in recent weeks in a show of force against the United States and South Korea that conduct joint military drills.

* US and South Korean forces held their biggest war games in five years on the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

* North Korea has been testing various missiles at the same time, including the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile last week and the tests of smaller-range missiles.

* Earlier in March 2023, it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone able to unleash a "radioactive tsunami," amid deteriorating relations with the US.

* The drone, called the "Unmanned Underwater Nuclear Attack Craft 'Haeil," was tested from 21 March to 23 March 2023..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Andaman & Nicobar Command

India’s only tri-services Andaman & Nicobar command conducted a joint military exercise ‘EX-KAVACH’ on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

* During the exercise, various drills by soldiers were carried out, including amphibious landing, air landing operations, heliborne operations, and rapid insertion of special forces commandos.

* Soldiers weapon systems of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force as well as the Coast Guard were deployed for ‘EX-KAVACH’. The joint service exercise is aimed to finetune joint warfighting capabilities and operational synergy.

About the exercise ‘EX-KAVACH’ :

* The exercise was a tri-service exercise and involved assets of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. This exercise included tri-services joint operations and drills to prepare the armed forces to face any combat challenges in the current warfare scenarios around the globe. Naval warships, amphibious troops of the Army and different types of aircraft of the Indian Air Force were employed during the military drill.

* The coordinated deployment of amphibious assault ships, and surveillance ships, the execution of maritime air strikes, and complicated manoeuvres at sea allowed for multifaceted maritime operations during the drill. The drill also included the airborne insertion of marine commandos from the Navy and Para commandos from the Indian Army, naval gunfire support, amphibious landing forces, and follow-up operations. During the exercise, joint activities for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance were also conducted.

* The exercise was previously conducted in 2021 known as AMPHEX-21. It was conducted from 21-25 Jan 2021 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Even during that exercise, all three services participated.

* The exercise aimed at validating India’s capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrities of its island territories. The exercise involved multi-faceted maritime operations by deploying amphibious assault ships, naval gunfire support, amphibious landing forces and follow-on operations were part of the exercise..

Source : Republic World

Correct Answer :   Skyroot Aerospace

In Telangana, private space vehicle company Skyroot Aerospace has test-fired its 3D-printed "Dhawan II engine" for a duration of 200 seconds.

* The engine was developed by the company for its heavier vehicle, Vikram II. The cryogenic engine that was tested yesterday will be used as the upper stage of the updated version of Vikram-II.

* A cryogenic upper stage instead of a solid fuel stage enhances the payload carrying capacity of a rocket.

* The Skyroot carried out its first sub-orbital flight in November last year (2022). The launch used a single-stage solid fuel Vikram S rocket.

* The Vikram-1 rocket, the first in the series of rockets being developed by the company, will use three solid-fuel stages to take satellites to orbit.

* A company release in Hyderabad stated that the Skyroot plans to carry out its first orbital flight by the year-end, with the updated Vikram II rocket scheduled to become launch-ready by next year (2024).

* This schedule will make the company the first private launcher from South Asia...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Indian Air Force and the US Air Force

The Indian Air Force and the US Air Force started the joint exercise 'Cope India' at Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal from April 10 to 21, 2023.

This exercise will enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces.

While Japan will also join as an “observer” in the exercise and witness “air combat and mobility elements” operating from multiple air bases like Kalaikunda, Panagarh, Agra, and Hindon...

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its partners successfully demonstrated a precise landing experiment for a Reusable Launch Vehicle at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka.

The Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) test was the second of five tests that are a part of ISRO’s efforts to develop RLVs, or space planes/shuttles, which can travel to low earth orbits to deliver payloads and return to earth for use again.

“RLV performed approach and landing maneuvers using the Integrated Navigation, Guidance, and control system and completed an autonomous landing on the ATR airstrip at 7:40 AM IST. With that, ISRO successfully achieved the autonomous landing of a space vehicle,” ISRO announced on Sunday (2nd April 2023) morning.

The experiment was carried out nearly seven years after the technology demonstration of an RLV and the first experiment was conducted successfully by ISRO on May 23, 2016, on the RLV-TD (HEX) mission.

What is ISRO’s RLV TD project?

According to ISRO, the series of experiments with the winged RLV-TD are part of efforts at “developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low-cost access to space”. The RLV-TD will be used to develop technologies like hypersonic flight (HEX), autonomous landing (LEX), return flight experiment (REX), powered cruise flight, and Scramjet Propulsion Experiment (SPEX).

“In the future, this vehicle will be scaled up to become the first stage of India’s reusable two-stage orbital (TSTO) launch vehicle,” according to ISRO.

ISRO’s RLV-TD looks like an aircraft. It consists of a fuselage, a nose cap, double delta wings, and twin vertical tails.

The 2016 experiment involved sending a winged spacecraft on a rocket powered by a conventional solid booster (HS9) engine used by ISRO into space. The spacecraft traveled at a speed of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) when re-entering the earth’s orbit and traveled a distance of 450 km before splashdown in the Bay of Bengal...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Andhra Pradesh

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted Regional Search and Rescue exercise during 28 -29 March 2023 at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

Exercise Aim : To simulate a real time maritime distress scenario and highlight the functioning of Search and Rescue (SAR) organisation for a mass rescue operation. The exercise involved all stakeholders with effective use of available resources towards M-SAR (Maritime Search and Rescue) contingency efficiently.

* The exercise simulated an Offshore Support vessel (OSV) carrying more than hundreds of passengers that reported a distress call of major fire onboard off Kakinada.

* Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Kakinada coordinated with all resource agencies to save the lives in distress. The state disaster contingency plan was invoked to support the operations at sea.

* External Fire Fighting of the distressed vessel, Abandon ship drill, deployment of Rescue boat, Jason Cradle, Scramble net, Life raft, life buoy, surveillance by drone, de-induction of casualty rescue by helicopter and medical management were conducted during the exercise.

* The ashore preparations included setting up of Incident Command Post, Triage for treatment of casualties and necessary facilities for management of critical casualties.

* Sea area off Kakinada was chosen as the venue for the exercise considering the large-scale exploration and production activities in the Krishna Godavari basin which makes the area potential to emergencies necessitating large scale SAR response.

* The two-day long workshop and exercise enhanced knowledge and understanding, promoting cooperation and coordination amongst member agencies for a Mass Rescue Operation (MRO), wherein the efforts of a single agency may not be sufficient...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Rs 40,000 Crore

India would be exporting defence equipment and materials worth Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 crore by 2026, Union minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday (28th March 2023).

* The defence minister was delivering the Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw memorial lecture here on 'The role of youth in nation building', organized by Symbiosis International University.

* First, there should be a sense of self-confidence that we will make India 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant). In 2014, we used to do defence exports of only Rs 900 crore, but since India has adopted Indianization (program), today we are doing the defence export of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 16,000 crore.

* There is a need to create an eco-system, and more than the eco-system, there is a need to generate self-confidence among ourselves, as with self-confidence, anything is possible," he added. He was proud of the country's defence forces which are now meeting 80 per cent of their needs through indigenous procurement.

* Defence minister Rajnath Singh also urged the country’s youth to contribute to India’s growth by ideating, innovating, and setting up new companies and research and development establishments. He cited the establishment of a link between academia and industry as an example of the government’s efforts to promote research and development. He emphasized the need to direct the energy of youth towards nation-building and social welfare and to moderate this energy through values, cultures, and traditions.

Retail investors in India benefit from government initiatives :

Singh also spoke about the steps taken by the government to promote retail investment, such as curbing insider trading, promoting technology and digital architecture in the trading process, and making the trading process more transparent. He noted that the increased participation of retail investors has contributed to the depth and resilience of the market.

Government Aims to Transform India into a Powerful Nation: Singh

Finally, Singh emphasized India’s growing stature on the international stage, citing the country’s projected rise in the global economic rankings and the increased attention it receives at international forums. He urged his audience to embrace self-confidence and work towards creating a brighter future for India..

Source : Zeebiz

Correct Answer :   96 Hour

India & China remain in a stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army and Air Force have conducted a 96-hour multi-domain air and land exercise, ‘Vayu Prahar’, in the eastern sector.

* Sources in India’s defence and security establishment said the exercise was conducted in the second week of March 2023.

* Aim : The main aim, they explained, was to formulate plans that can lead to synergy in multi-domain operations.

* Essentially, multi-domain operations are used to coordinate activities across multiple branches of the military to achieve converging results.

* “The conduct of Vayu Prahar exercise enabled coordination and rehearsal among various agencies for quick mobilisation, transportation and deployment of forces within a theatre which can be executed across theatres,” a source said.

* The scope of the joint exercise included the “rapid mobilisation of a rapid reaction force from the hinterland”, according to the sources. This force was then tasked with air-land operations in a nominated advance landing ground (ALG).

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Arabian Sea

Konkan 2023, a joint maritime exercise, was conducted between the Royal Navy of Britain and the Indian Navy from the 20th of March to 22nd March 2023, off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.

* The joint drill by the two navies demonstrated operational readiness, enhancing interoperability and improving the ability to conduct joint operations.

* The exercise will go a long way in bolstering the combined efforts of the Indian Navy and Royal Navy to strengthen maritime security and uphold a rules-based order in the region.

* INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 guided missile frigate, participated in this edition and undertook multiple maritime drills to enhance interoperability and imbibe best practices. The exercises covered all domains of maritime operations, air, surface, and subsurface.

* India and UK agreed to significant new cooperation on Maritime Domain Awareness, which includes new agreements on maritime information sharing, an invitation to the UK to join India's Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram.

* India considers the defence sector as one of the major areas where the bilateral partnership could be expanded around the Make in India campaign.

* In maritime cooperation, the engagements between both countries are increasing. The UK will be deploying a Carrier Strike Group in the Indian Ocean region this year in line with its strategic tilt to Indo-Pacific...

Source : AIR