Defence & Security
📘 NDA GAT Section · CFN01
🎯 NDA Level : High Priority
Defence & Security is the single highest-scoring area in NDA GAT Current Affairs. As a future officer yourself, examiners expect you to know what India is inducting, which exercise is with which country, and who commands the forces. Straightforward factual questions — but the sheer volume of data requires systematic memorisation.
📌 NDA Exam Pattern — Defence & Security:
• Exercise: partner country + type (land/naval/air) + focus area |
• Induction: aircraft/ship name + from where + key feature
• Missile: DRDO system + role (surface-to-air, BVR, etc.) |
• Chief: current holder + when appointed
• Infrastructure: tunnel/base name + location + strategic purpose
1. Military Exercises
⚔️ Land Exercises
- Yudh Abhyas — India & USA. Land. Focus: mountain & high-altitude warfare, HADR. Held alternately in India and USA. Involves infantry battalions.
- Vajra Prahar — India & USA. Special Forces. Focus: counter-terrorism, COIN, special ops. Involves Indian Para SF and US SOCOM.
- Shakti — India & France. Land. Focus: counter-terrorism, humanitarian ops.
- Dharma Guardian — India & Japan. Land. Focus: jungle warfare, mutual interoperability. JGSDF + Indian Army.
- Mitra Shakti — India & Sri Lanka. Land. Focus: counter-terrorism, HADR. India’s neighbourhood engagement.
- Garuda Shakti — India & Indonesia. Special Forces. Focus: jungle warfare, maritime security.
- Ekuverin — India & Maldives. Land. Focus: counter-terrorism, HADR.
- Cyclone — India & Egypt. Special Forces. First bilateral exercise with Egypt; debuted 2023.
- Austrahind — India & Australia. Land. First bilateral exercise; held since 2022.
⛵️ Naval Exercises
- SIMBEX — India & Singapore. Naval. Longest-running continuous bilateral naval exercise (since 1994). Focus: anti-submarine warfare (ASW), fleet manoeuvres.
- Varuna — India & France. Naval. Indian Navy + French Marine Nationale. Focus: ASW, VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, Seizure).
- Indra — India & Russia. Tri-service. Only tri-service exercise with Russia. Held alternately.
- Milan — Multilateral (50+ nations). Naval. Hosted by India at Visakhapatnam. Largest multilateral naval exercise hosted by India.
- Malabar — India, USA, Japan (+ Australia from 2020). Naval. QUAD naval core. Focus: ASW, advanced naval ops.
- Tasman Saber — India, USA, Australia. Tri-service. HADR and combat.
- Zayed Talwar — India & UAE. Naval. Arabian Sea cooperation.
- KONKAN — India & UK. Naval. Royal Navy + Indian Navy.
✈️ Air & Tri-Service Exercises
- Garuda — India & France. Air. IAF + French Air & Space Force. Rafale jets feature prominently.
- Veer Guardian — India & Japan. Air. First-ever India-Japan air exercise (2023). IAF + JASDF. Su-30MKI and F-2 jets.
- Desert Knight — India, France (+ UAE). Air. Desert terrain; extended Garuda format.
- Cope India — India & USA. Air. IAF + USAF; large-force air combat manoeuvring.
- Tiger Triumph — India & USA. Tri-service. HADR-focused; all three services of both nations. Amphibious disaster relief operations.
⚠ NDA Trap: Three exercises involve India and the USA — Yudh Abhyas (land/HADR), Vajra Prahar (Special Forces), Tiger Triumph (tri-service HADR). Questions often give the focus and ask the name. SIMBEX = longest bilateral naval; Milan = largest multilateral naval hosted by India. Veer Guardian (2023) = first India-Japan air exercise.
2. Defence Inductions & Acquisitions
✈️ Aircraft & Helicopters
- Tejas Mk1A (LCA): India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft. 83 aircraft ordered from HAL (Rs 48,000 crore). Features: AESA radar, BVR missiles, electronic warfare suite, mid-air refuelling probe. Single-engine, delta-wing. Currently in production.
- Rafale (IAF): 36 French-built jets. All delivered to No. 17 Squadron (“Golden Arrows”) and No. 101 Squadron. Omni-role: air superiority, nuclear strike, SEAD. Carries Meteor BVR missile (world’s longest range air-to-air, 150+ km).
- Rafale-M (Navy): 26 marine-variant Rafale ordered for INS Vikrant (deck-capable). Delivery from ~2028.
- C-295 (Transport): 56 ordered from Airbus Spain. 16 from Spain; 40 to be built in India by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) at Vadodara, Gujarat — first military aircraft produced in India under Transfer of Technology (ToT). Replaces HS-748 Avro.
- MH-60R Seahawk: 24 multi-role naval helicopters from Sikorsky (USA). Role: anti-submarine warfare, search & rescue. Now with INAS 334.
- Apache AH-64E: 6 attack helicopters for Army Aviation Corps, Jodhpur. Night-vision, Hellfire missiles.
- Prachand (LCH): India’s first indigenous attack helicopter. HAL-built. Deployed at Leh (5,000+ m altitude operations). 15 initial order.
🚨 Naval Ships & Submarines
- INS Vikrant (IAC-1): Commissioned Sep 2, 2022. India’s first indigenously designed & built aircraft carrier. 45,000 tonnes; 262 m. Built at Cochin Shipyard. Carries MiG-29K, Ka-31, MH-60R.
- INS Vaghsheer: 6th & final Scorpene-class (Project 75) submarine. Commissioned Jan 2025. Built at Mazagon Dock, Mumbai. French-designed.
- INS Imphal: 3rd Visakhapatnam-class stealth destroyer. Commissioned Dec 2023. 90%+ indigenous content. BrahMos + VLS SAMs.
- INS Jatayu: New Naval Air Station at Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep (commissioned Feb 2024). Significance: covers Nine Degree Channel; IOR surveillance; forward base near international shipping lanes.
- INS Varsha (Rambilli, Andhra Pradesh): Under construction; India’s first dedicated nuclear submarine base (underground facility).
- P-75I (Project 75 India): 6 next-generation submarines with AIP (Air Independent Propulsion). TKMS Germany + Mazagon Dock selected. Longer underwater endurance than Scorpene class.
3. DRDO & Missile Systems
💣 Key Missile Systems — Role-Based
- Agni-V (MIRV — Mission Divyastra, Mar 2024): Ballistic missile. India’s first MIRV test — Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles. One missile, multiple nuclear warheads, different targets. Range 5,000+ km. India = 4th MIRV nation (after USA, Russia, China).
- Agni-P (Agni Prime): New-gen canisterised ballistic missile. Range 1,000–2,000 km. Road-mobile.
- BrahMos: Supersonic cruise missile (Mach 2.8). India-Russia joint venture. Land, sea, air-launched variants. Range 400–500 km. Philippines = first export customer (shore-based anti-ship, 2022).
- Pralay: India’s first quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile. Range 150–500 km. Manoeuvres during final phase (hard to intercept). DRDO-developed.
- Astra Mk1: Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile. DRDO. Range 70–80 km. On Su-30MKI and Tejas. Astra Mk2 (150 km) in development.
- VSHORADS: Very Short Range Air Defence System (man-portable/MANPADS). Infrared homing. Counters low-flying drones, helicopters. Replaces imported Igla-S.
- QRSAM: Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile. Mobile, all-weather. Short-range air defence for army field units.
- Akash-NG: Next-gen surface-to-air missile. Active radar seeker (better than Akash Mk1). Range 40–80 km.
- MPATGM: Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile. Fire-and-forget. Replaces imported Milan missiles at infantry level.
- SMART: Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo. Naval anti-submarine weapon. Delivers torpedo to long-range targets via missile.
- Mission Shakti (2019): India’s ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapon test. Shot down own satellite in LEO. India = 4th ASAT-capable nation.
- HSTDV (Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle): Scramjet-powered. Test flight 2020. Building towards hypersonic cruise missiles for future.
4. Defence Chiefs & Infrastructure
Chief of Defence Staff
General Anil Chauhan
Appointed Oct 2022; 2nd CDS; Para SF background; ex-GoC Eastern Command
Chief of Army Staff (COAS)
General Upendra Dwivedi
Appointed Jun 2024; expert in Himalayan/LAC warfare; ex-Northern Army Commander
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)
Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi
Appointed Apr 2024; career submarine officer; focus on undersea capability
Chief of Air Staff (CAS)
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh
Appointed Sep 2024; fighter pilot; 5,000+ flying hours; champions Tejas induction
🌎 Strategic Infrastructure
- Sela Tunnel (Arunachal Pradesh, Mar 2024): World’s longest bi-lane tunnel above 13,000 ft (1,555 m main tube). BRO-built. All-weather access to Tawang — strategically critical against China border. PM Modi inaugurated.
- Atal Tunnel (Himachal Pradesh, 2020): Longest highway tunnel above 10,000 ft (9.02 km). Rohtang bypass. BRO-built. Manali–Lahaul-Spiti year-round connectivity.
- INS Varsha (Rambilli, AP): First dedicated nuclear submarine base. Underground caverns protect SSBNs (Arihant class) from satellite detection. Strategic second-strike capability base.
- Defence Industrial Corridors: Uttar Pradesh Corridor (Lucknow–Agra–Aligarh) and Tamil Nadu Corridor (Chennai–Coimbatore). Target: Rs 20,000 crore investment each. Manufacturing hubs under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Q1. Which missile system tested under “Mission Divyastra” in March 2024 demonstrated India’s MIRV capability for the first time?
(a) Agni-P (b) BrahMos-II (c) Agni-V (d) Pralay
Answer: (c) Agni-V
MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles) = one missile carries multiple nuclear warheads aimed at different targets. India tested this on Agni-V in March 2024. India became the 4th MIRV-capable nation. Agni-P is a shorter-range canisterised variant. BrahMos-II is under development. Pralay is a conventional quasi-ballistic missile.
Q2. Exercise SIMBEX is India’s longest continuous bilateral naval exercise. Which country does India conduct it with?
(a) Indonesia (b) Malaysia (c) Singapore (d) Australia
Answer: (c) Singapore
SIMBEX (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise) has been held annually since 1994 without interruption, making it India’s longest bilateral naval exercise. Key focuses: anti-submarine warfare, fleet manoeuvres, live-fire drills.
Q3. INS Vikrant, commissioned in September 2022, is historically significant because it is:
(a) India’s first nuclear-powered submarine (b) India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier (c) India’s largest warship imported from Russia (d) India’s first helicopter carrier
Answer: (b) India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier
Designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design; built at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. 45,000 tonnes; 262 m long. Previous carriers (INS Viraat, first INS Vikrant) were purchased/leased from UK. India joins USA, UK, France, Russia, China as nations able to indigenously build aircraft carriers.
Q4. The C-295 aircraft will be manufactured in India by which company and at which location?
(a) HAL at Bengaluru (b) Tata Advanced Systems Ltd at Vadodara (c) BEL at Hyderabad (d) DRDO at Pune
Answer: (b) Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) at Vadodara, Gujarat
40 of the 56 C-295 ordered will be manufactured in India under Transfer of Technology (ToT) from Airbus Spain. This is the first time a military transport aircraft is produced in India. Replaces HS-748 Avro. PM Modi laid the foundation stone in Oct 2022.
Q5. Which exercise between India and the USA is specifically focused on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and involves all three services?
(a) Yudh Abhyas (b) Vajra Prahar (c) Tiger Triumph (d) Cope India
Answer: (c) Tiger Triumph
Tiger Triumph is India’s first tri-service HADR exercise with the USA (all three services of both nations). It includes amphibious evacuation and disaster response. Yudh Abhyas = land/mountain warfare. Vajra Prahar = Special Forces counter-terrorism. Cope India = air exercise.
Q6. Who is the current Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India, and when was he appointed?
(a) General Bipin Rawat, 2020 (b) General M.M. Naravane, 2022 (c) General Anil Chauhan, October 2022 (d) Admiral R. Hari Kumar, 2022
Answer: (c) General Anil Chauhan, October 2022
General Anil Chauhan is India’s 2nd CDS, appointed Oct 2022 after the tragic death of Gen Bipin Rawat (India’s 1st CDS) in a helicopter crash in Dec 2021. Gen Chauhan has a Para SF background and served as GoC-in-C Eastern Command. Admiral R. Hari Kumar is the former CNS.
🤯 T1. INS Vikrant is India’s first indigenous carrier, but India had a carrier called “INS Vikrant” before. How are they different?
Old INS Vikrant (R11, 1961–1997): Originally HMS Hercules (British Majestic class). Purchased from UK, commissioned 1961. Played key role in 1971 Bangladesh war (naval blockade of East Pakistan). Decommissioned 1997; broken up for scrap.
New INS Vikrant (IAC-1, 2022): 100% indigenously designed by Indian Navy + built at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. No foreign base design. First truly “Made in India” carrier. Named after the old INS Vikrant in tribute.
NDA key: Both are carriers named Vikrant, but the old one was British-built; the new one is India’s own design. The question “first indigenous carrier” = new 2022 one only.
🤯 T2. What is the difference between Agni-V, Agni-P, and Pralay? All three are recent DRDO missiles that NDA confuses.
Agni-V: ICBM-class (5,000+ km range). Nuclear-capable. Mission Divyastra tested MIRV on it. Surface-launched ballistic missile. India’s longest range missile.
Agni-P (Agni Prime): New-gen medium range (1,000–2,000 km). Canisterised (stored in launcher, quick deployment). Lighter than Agni-I/II which it replaces. Nuclear-capable.
Pralay: Quasi-ballistic (NOT purely ballistic). Range 150–500 km. Conventional warhead (NOT nuclear). Manoeuvres in terminal phase. India’s answer to Pakistan’s Nasr/China’s short-range systems.
Key: Agni-V = longest + MIRV + nuclear. Agni-P = medium + canisterised + nuclear. Pralay = shortest + conventional + quasi-ballistic.
📝 Rapid Revision — CFN01 Defence & Security
⚔ Land Exercises
- Yudh Abhyas = India-USA (land/HADR)
- Vajra Prahar = India-USA (Special Forces)
- Shakti = India-France (land CT)
- Dharma Guardian = India-Japan (land)
- Garuda Shakti = India-Indonesia (SF)
- Mitra Shakti = India-Sri Lanka (HADR/CT)
⛵ Naval/Air/Tri-Service
- SIMBEX = India-Singapore; LONGEST bilateral naval
- Varuna = India-France (naval)
- Milan = Multilateral; India hosts (50+ nations)
- Malabar = QUAD naval
- Garuda = India-France (air; Rafale)
- Tiger Triumph = India-USA TRI-SERVICE HADR
💣 Missiles by Role
- Agni-V MIRV = Mission Divyastra (Mar 2024)
- BrahMos = cruise; Mach 2.8; Philippines export
- Pralay = quasi-ballistic; conventional; 150-500 km
- Astra = BVR air-to-air (70-80 km)
- QRSAM = surface-to-air (army field)
- SMART = anti-submarine torpedo delivery
🚨 Ships & Chiefs
- INS Vikrant = 1st indigenous carrier (Sep 2022)
- INS Vaghsheer = 6th Scorpene sub (Jan 2025)
- INS Jatayu = Minicoy, Lakshadweep NAS
- C-295 = Vadodara, TASL (ToT from Airbus)
- CDS: Gen Anil Chauhan (Oct 2022)
- COAS: Gen Upendra Dwivedi (Jun 2024)
⚡ Quick Booster — CFN01
Exercise Trick
- HADR tri-service = Tiger Triumph
- Longest bilateral naval = SIMBEX (Singapore)
- Multilateral naval = Milan (India hosts)
- 1st India-Japan air = Veer Guardian
- Special Forces India-USA = Vajra Prahar
Missile Role Trick
- Agni-V = ICBM + MIRV; nuclear
- BrahMos = cruise; Mach 2.8
- Pralay = quasi-ballistic; conventional
- Astra = air-to-air BVR
- VSHORADS = MANPADS (shoulder-fired)
NDA Traps
- Tiger Triumph = HADR; NOT mountain warfare
- Mission Divyastra = MIRV (NOT ASAT)
- Mission Shakti (2019) = ASAT only
- INS Vikrant = indigenous; NOT British-built
- C-295 = TASL Vadodara; NOT HAL Bengaluru
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