UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Missile interceptors in U.S.-Iran war

Q1. With reference to missile-defence systems employed during the 2025-26 U.S.-Iran conflict, consider the following pairings of system and developer/prime contractor: 1. THAAD — Lockheed Martin 2. Iron Dome — Rafael Advanced Defense Systems / Israel Aerospace Industries 3. Patriot PAC-3 — Raytheon 4. Cheongung-II (KM-SAM Block II) — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. THAAD — Lockheed Martin
  2. Iron Dome — Rafael Advanced Defense Systems / Israel Aerospace Industries
  3. Patriot PAC-3 — Raytheon
  4. Cheongung-II (KM-SAM Block II) — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. In the context of the 2025-26 U.S.-Iran conflict, the term 'loitering munition' (commonly referred to as a 'suicide drone' such as the Iranian Shahed series) is best defined as:

  • A. A ballistic missile that follows a depressed trajectory and loiters in the exo-atmosphere before re-entry
  • B. An unmanned aerial vehicle carrying an integrated warhead that hovers/circles over a target area before crashing into and destroying the target
  • C. A cruise missile launched from a high-altitude bomber that maintains a holding pattern until a target of opportunity is designated
  • D. A hypersonic glide vehicle that manoeuvres during terminal descent to evade interceptors

Q3. Following the depletion of THAAD interceptor stocks during the June 2025 '12-Day War' with Iran, the additional ~US$2 billion contract awarded to Lockheed Martin to replenish the U.S. high-altitude interceptor inventory was authorised by which one of the following U.S. agencies?

  • A. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
  • B. Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
  • C. United States Space Force (USSF)
  • D. United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)

Q4. The UAE, whose air-defence network was used to intercept Iranian missiles in March 2026, had originally contracted to acquire 10 batteries of South Korea's Cheongung-II (KM-SAM Block II) air-defence system under an agreement signed in:

  • A. November 2017
  • B. January 2022
  • C. August 2023
  • D. April 2025

Q5. According to post-conflict assessments of the June 2025 '12-Day War' between Iran and the U.S.-Israel coalition, approximately how many THAAD interceptors did the United States fire — a figure equal to about a quarter of the total THAAD inventory ever procured by the Pentagon?

  • A. About 30
  • B. About 80
  • C. About 150
  • D. About 400
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