Defence Technology

‘SAMPRITI-2017’ is a joint military exercise between armed forces of India and

[amp_mcq option1=”Bhutan” option2=”Bangladesh” option3=”Pakistan” option4=”Myanmar” correct=”option2″]

‘SAMPRITI-2017’ is a joint military exercise between armed forces of India and Bangladesh.

‘SAMPRITI’ is a series of joint military exercises conducted annually between the Indian Army and the Bangladesh Army. The ‘SAMPRITI-2017’ exercise (Sampriti-VII) was held at the Counter Insurgency & Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte in Mizoram, India. These exercises aim to enhance inter-operability and cooperation between the two forces in counter-terrorism and other operational scenarios.

India conducts various joint military exercises with different countries to build trust, share best practices, and improve operational capabilities. Examples include ‘Maitree’ with Thailand, ‘Nomadic Elephant’ with Mongolia, ‘Surya Kiran’ with Nepal, and ‘Indra’ with Russia.

Which one of the following is not a correct ascending order of commissioned ranks in the defence forces of India?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General, General” option2=”Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore, Air Vice Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal” option3=”Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Group Captain, Wing Commander, Air Commodore, Air Vice Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal” option4=”Sub Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral” correct=”option3″]

Option C presents an incorrect ascending order of commissioned ranks in the Indian Air Force. The correct ascending order for these ranks is Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore, Air Vice Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal. Option C incorrectly places Group Captain before Wing Commander.

– The question asks for an incorrect order.
– Ranks in different branches of the Indian Defence Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) follow specific ascending sequences.
– The provided order for the Air Force in option C is flawed.

The correct ascending orders for the ranks mentioned in the other options are:
– Army: Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General, General.
– Navy: Sub Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral.
These ranks correspond to increasing seniority and responsibility within the respective forces.

Which one of the following is India’s first indigenously designed and developed long-range subsonic cruise missile which can be deployed from multiple platforms?

[amp_mcq option1=”Astra” option2=”Akash” option3=”Nirbhay” option4=”Shankhnaad” correct=”option3″]

The correct answer is (C) Nirbhay.

Nirbhay is India’s first indigenously designed and developed long-range subsonic cruise missile capable of being launched from multiple platforms. It is designed to deliver nuclear warheads and has a range of over 1000 km.

– Astra is an indigenous air-to-air missile.
– Akash is an indigenous surface-to-air missile system.
– Nirbhay was test-fired multiple times, with the first test occurring in 2013. Its development has been significant for India’s strategic capabilities.

Which of the following about the role of Indian Coast Guard is/are correct?

• 1. Indian Coast Guard has been entrusted with the offshore security coordination authority
• 2. Lead intelligence agency for coastal and sea border
• 3. Coastal security in territorial waters

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 3 only” option2=”1, 2 and 3″ option3=”1 and 2 only” option4=”3 only” correct=”option1″]

Statement 1 is correct. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is the designated Offshore Security Coordinator (OSC) and National Coordinator for Coastal Security.
Statement 2 is incorrect. While the ICG is involved in intelligence gathering as part of its duties, it is not the *lead* intelligence agency for coastal and sea borders. Coastal security intelligence is a multi-agency effort involving the Intelligence Bureau (IB), R&AW, Indian Navy, Coastal Police, and other state and central agencies, with roles distributed.
Statement 3 is correct. The ICG is responsible for patrolling and enforcing laws in India’s territorial waters and has a primary role in ensuring coastal security within this area, coordinating with other agencies like the Coastal Police.
Thus, statements 1 and 3 are correct.

– The Indian Coast Guard’s primary roles include maritime safety and security, search and rescue, environmental protection, and coastal security.
– Coastal security is a multi-layered and multi-agency framework involving Central and State government agencies.

The coastal security architecture in India was significantly revamped after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The three-tiered structure involves the Indian Navy (overall maritime security, including coastal security in coordination with ICG), the Indian Coast Guard (coastal security in territorial waters, national coordinator), and the Coastal Police (coastal security in shallow waters and along the coast). Intelligence sharing is a critical component, coordinated among various agencies.

The Indian Navy in October 2016 commissioned the highly maneuverable fast attack craft INS Tihayu. INS Tihayu would be based in

[amp_mcq option1=”Kochi” option2=”Panaji” option3=”Visakhapatnam” option4=”Mumbai” correct=”option3″]

The Indian Navy’s fast attack craft INS Tihayu, commissioned in October 2016, is based in Visakhapatnam.

INS Tihayu is part of the Tihayu-class (Car Nicobar Follow-On) series of fast attack craft built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. These vessels are designed for coastal patrol, anti-piracy, and search and rescue operations.

Following its commissioning in October 2016, INS Tihayu was based at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command, strategically positioned to enhance India’s maritime security along the eastern coast and in the Bay of Bengal.

Which one of the following statements is correct in relation to the Indian Air Force?

[amp_mcq option1=”It has bases in many friendly countries.” option2=”It does not carry out joint exercises with any country.” option3=”It has a separate Maintenance Command.” option4=”No officer has ever been elevated to the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force.” correct=”option3″]

The statement that is correct in relation to the Indian Air Force is C) It has a separate Maintenance Command.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is organised into several commands, each responsible for a specific area of operation or function. These include operational commands (like Western Air Command, Eastern Air Command, etc.) and functional commands such as Training Command, Maintenance Command, and Systems Command. The Maintenance Command is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of IAF’s aircraft, equipment, and other assets.

Regarding the other statements:
A) The IAF operates from bases within India and can deploy to bases in friendly countries for joint exercises or specific operations, but it does not maintain permanent sovereign bases in many friendly countries.
B) The IAF regularly conducts joint exercises with air forces of various friendly countries (e.g., USA, France, UK, Oman, Russia, etc.) to enhance interoperability and mutual understanding.
D) Marshal of the Indian Air Force is the highest possible rank, an honorary rank equivalent to Field Marshal in the Army and Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy. As of 2024, only one officer, Arjan Singh, has been conferred this rank (in 2002).

The rank of Captain of the Indian Navy is equivalent to which one of the following?

[amp_mcq option1=”Captain of the Indian Army” option2=”Group Captain in the Indian Air Force” option3=”Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army” option4=”Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force” correct=”option2″]

The rank of Captain in the Indian Navy is equivalent to the rank of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force.

The ranks across the three branches of the Indian Armed Forces are structured to have equivalents. The typical seniority progression that aligns across the services at this level is:
– Indian Army: Colonel
– Indian Navy: Captain
– Indian Air Force: Group Captain

To clarify the other options:
– Captain in the Indian Army is equivalent to Lieutenant in the Navy and Flight Lieutenant in the Air Force.
– Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army is equivalent to Commander in the Navy and Wing Commander in the Air Force.
– Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force is equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and Commander in the Navy.

The Headquarters of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is located at which one of the following places?

[amp_mcq option1=”Karwar” option2=”Kochi” option3=”Thiruvananthapuram” option4=”Chennai” correct=”option2″]

The correct answer is B) Kochi. The Headquarters of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is located in Kochi, Kerala.

– The Indian Navy is divided into three operational commands and one training command.
– The three operational commands are the Western Naval Command (WNC) headquartered in Mumbai, the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquartered in Visakhapatnam, and the Southern Naval Command (SNC) headquartered in Kochi.
– There is also a tri-service command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), based in Port Blair.

Kochi hosts the headquarters of SNC, which is primarily responsible for training and support functions for the Indian Navy. While Karwar is a major naval base (INS Kadamba), it falls under the Western Naval Command. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala but is not the headquarters of the SNC. Chennai is a major city on the east coast and is part of the Eastern Naval Command’s area of responsibility.

Which one of the following is a Peacetime Gallantry Award?

[amp_mcq option1=”Shaurya Chakra” option2=”Vir Chakra” option3=”Yudh Seva Medal” option4=”Param Vir Chakra” correct=”option1″]

The correct answer is A) Shaurya Chakra. The Shaurya Chakra is one of India’s gallantry awards given for courage, bravery, or sacrifice.

– Indian gallantry awards are broadly classified into Wartime and Peacetime awards.
– Wartime gallantry awards, in descending order of precedence, are Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra.
– Peacetime gallantry awards, in descending order of precedence, are Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra.
– Yudh Seva Medal is a wartime distinguished service decoration, not a gallantry award in the same category as the others listed.

The question asks for a Peacetime Gallantry Award among the given options. Shaurya Chakra is explicitly categorised as a peacetime gallantry award conferred for acts of gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy. Vir Chakra and Param Vir Chakra are wartime awards. Yudh Seva Medal is awarded for distinguished service of a high order during wartime.

Which one of the following is not an Inter-Services Establishment?

[amp_mcq option1=”Officers Training Academy” option2=”National Defence Academy” option3=”National Defence College” option4=”Armed Forces Medical College” correct=”option1″]

The correct answer is A) Officers Training Academy. The Officers Training Academy (OTA) is primarily an institution that trains officers for a specific service, predominantly the Army, although it might have courses for other services.

– An Inter-Services Establishment (ISE) is an organisation comprising personnel from more than one of the three main services (Army, Navy, Air Force) and functioning under an integrated command structure.
– National Defence Academy (NDA), National Defence College (NDC), and Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) are all classic examples of Inter-Services Establishments where personnel from the three services serve together or receive joint training/education.
– Officers Training Academy (OTA) typically trains officers for a single service stream, distinguishing it from the joint nature of the other institutions listed.

ISEs facilitate jointness and integration among the Indian armed forces. NDA is a joint training academy for cadets entering the three services. NDC is a premier institution for strategic training for senior officers from all services and civil services. AFMC trains medical professionals for all three services. OTA, while a crucial training institution, focuses on single-service training streams.