UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The limits of air power, implications for theatre-isation

Q1. Procurement exclusive to the three Services, other than capital acquisitions, is a subject allocated to which one of the following departments of the Ministry of Defence?

  • A. The Department of Defence, which also services the Defence Acquisition Council
  • B. The Department of Military Affairs, whose Secretary is a serving four-star officer
  • C. The Department of Defence Production, which oversees ordnance factories and defence PSUs
  • D. The Department of Defence Research and Development, headed by the Chairman, DRDO

Q2. With reference to the office of the Chief of Defence Staff of India, consider the following: 1. He is the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-Service matters. 2. He is a member of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the Defence Minister. 3. He is the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority. 4. He exercises military command over the three Service Chiefs in operational matters. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. He is the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-Service matters.
  2. He is a member of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the Defence Minister.
  3. He is the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
  4. He exercises military command over the three Service Chiefs in operational matters.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q3. The Committee of Experts constituted by the Ministry of Defence which submitted its report in December 2016 recommending measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces was chaired by:

  • A. Lt Gen (Retd) D B Shekatkar, whose panel forwarded 99 recommendations for implementation
  • B. Shri Naresh Chandra, whose task force examined national security and higher defence management
  • C. Shri K Subrahmanyam, whose panel reviewed the events leading to the 1999 Kargil conflict
  • D. Dr Vijay Kelkar, whose committee examined reform of the defence procurement procedure

Q4. Consider the following pairs relating to India's move towards integrated theatre commands: 1. Kargil Review Committee (1999) — first recommended the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff and more integrated commands 2. Shekatkar Committee (2016) — forwarded 99 recommendations to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure 3. Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023 — brought into force with effect from 10 May 2024 4. Andaman and Nicobar Command — India's first tri-service command, raised in 2003 with headquarters at Visakhapatnam Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Kargil Review Committee (1999) — first recommended the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff and more integrated commands
  2. Shekatkar Committee (2016) — forwarded 99 recommendations to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure
  3. Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023 — brought into force with effect from 10 May 2024
  4. Andaman and Nicobar Command — India's first tri-service command, raised in 2003 with headquarters at Visakhapatnam
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q5. Consider the following statements relating to India's theatre-isation debate in 2026: 1. General N S Raja Subramani assumed charge as the third Chief of Defence Staff in May 2026, succeeding General Anil Chauhan. 2. He was serving as the Chief of the Army Staff immediately before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff. 3. The Chief of the Air Staff has publicly stated that the Air Force is not opposed to theaterisation, while urging a step-wise approach with minimal disruption. 4. The Joint Operations Centre being set up is intended to replace the Chiefs of Staff Committee as the apex tri-Service body. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. General N S Raja Subramani assumed charge as the third Chief of Defence Staff in May 2026, succeeding General Anil Chauhan.
  2. He was serving as the Chief of the Army Staff immediately before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff.
  3. The Chief of the Air Staff has publicly stated that the Air Force is not opposed to theaterisation, while urging a step-wise approach with minimal disruption.
  4. The Joint Operations Centre being set up is intended to replace the Chiefs of Staff Committee as the apex tri-Service body.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q6. Which one of the following best describes the Andaman and Nicobar Command in India's present command structure?

  • A. A functional command holding operational custody of India's strategic nuclear delivery assets
  • B. A subordinate area command of the Eastern Naval Command responsible for the Bay of Bengal
  • C. A joint training establishment where officers of the three Services undergo staff courses
  • D. A geographical command in which Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard elements serve under one Commander-in-Chief

Q7. As of 2026, how many single-service commands do the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force maintain, taken together?

  • A. Fourteen
  • B. Fifteen
  • C. Seventeen
  • D. Nineteen

Q8. What is the authorised (sanctioned) strength of fighter squadrons of the Indian Air Force, against which its actual holdings have been reported to be running short?

  • A. Thirty-one squadrons
  • B. Thirty-nine squadrons
  • C. Forty-two squadrons
  • D. Forty-five squadrons

Q9. Consider the following propositions about air power and the theatre-isation debate: 1. The Indian Air Force has traditionally favoured centralised control of its fighter assets so that they can be switched between fronts, rather than permanently allotting them to theatres. 2. The wars in Ukraine and Iran suggest that air power can dominate or deny airspace but has not by itself compelled an adversary to capitulate. 3. The Indian Air Force currently operates above its authorised fighter squadron strength, which removes scarcity as an argument against splitting assets. 4. The Chief of the Air Staff has proposed a joint planning and coordination centre at Delhi comprising the top military brass to secure tri-Service synergy. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Indian Air Force has traditionally favoured centralised control of its fighter assets so that they can be switched between fronts, rather than permanently allotting them to theatres.
  2. The wars in Ukraine and Iran suggest that air power can dominate or deny airspace but has not by itself compelled an adversary to capitulate.
  3. The Indian Air Force currently operates above its authorised fighter squadron strength, which removes scarcity as an argument against splitting assets.
  4. The Chief of the Air Staff has proposed a joint planning and coordination centre at Delhi comprising the top military brass to secure tri-Service synergy.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q10. Consider the following pairs relating to theatre and joint command models: 1. United States — eleven combatant commands, of which some are functional, covering special operations, strategic forces, transportation and cyber warfare 2. China — five joint theatre commands formed by reorganising the erstwhile military regions and naval fleets 3. India — seventeen single-service commands, comprising seven of the Army, seven of the Air Force and three of the Navy 4. India — the Andaman and Nicobar Command, a functional command exercising custody of the country's strategic nuclear assets Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. United States — eleven combatant commands, of which some are functional, covering special operations, strategic forces, transportation and cyber warfare
  2. China — five joint theatre commands formed by reorganising the erstwhile military regions and naval fleets
  3. India — seventeen single-service commands, comprising seven of the Army, seven of the Air Force and three of the Navy
  4. India — the Andaman and Nicobar Command, a functional command exercising custody of the country's strategic nuclear assets
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 4 only

Q11. In India's higher defence organisation, the Chiefs of Staff Committee is best described as:

  • A. A standing body of the three Service Chiefs, permanently chaired by the Chief of Defence Staff
  • B. A body of the three Service Chiefs chaired by the Defence Secretary that apportions the annual defence budget
  • C. A body chaired by the Defence Minister that accords acceptance of necessity to capital acquisition proposals
  • D. A body chaired by the National Security Adviser that advises on the employment of strategic forces