UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — MoD signs ₹811 cr. deal to buy 160 glide bombs for IAF

Q1. With reference to the September 2026 contract signed by the Ministry of Defence for Satellite Smart Anti Airfield Weapons (SAT-SAAW), consider the following: 1. The contract, valued at about ₹811 crore, is for 160 weapons along with associated equipment for the Indian Air Force. 2. The vendor is Bharat Dynamics Limited, a Defence Public Sector Undertaking. 3. The acquisition has been categorised as 'Buy and Make (Indian)', which requires transfer of technology from a foreign collaborator. 4. The weapon is a 125 kg class smart weapon able to engage airfield assets up to a range of 100 km. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The contract, valued at about ₹811 crore, is for 160 weapons along with associated equipment for the Indian Air Force.
  2. The vendor is Bharat Dynamics Limited, a Defence Public Sector Undertaking.
  3. The acquisition has been categorised as 'Buy and Make (Indian)', which requires transfer of technology from a foreign collaborator.
  4. The weapon is a 125 kg class smart weapon able to engage airfield assets up to a range of 100 km.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 with the procedure it seeks to replace: 1. The minimum indigenous content in the Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured category is proposed to be raised from 50 per cent to 60 per cent. 2. Ab-initio single-vendor procurement is proposed to be permitted in the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category for equipment at Technology Readiness Levels 6 to 9. 3. The practice of compensating vendors who are successful in trial evaluations is proposed to be discontinued. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The minimum indigenous content in the Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured category is proposed to be raised from 50 per cent to 60 per cent.
  2. Ab-initio single-vendor procurement is proposed to be permitted in the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category for equipment at Technology Readiness Levels 6 to 9.
  3. The practice of compensating vendors who are successful in trial evaluations is proposed to be discontinued.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, whose weapon-aircraft integration was carried out by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bengaluru, was designed and developed by which one of the following DRDO laboratories?

  • A. Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune
  • B. Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bengaluru
  • C. Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad
  • D. Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the two configurations of the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon tested by DRDO and the Indian Air Force: 1. One configuration is based on satellite navigation while the other is based on electro-optical sensors. 2. The electro-optical configuration is equipped with an Imaging Infra-Red seeker. 3. Both configurations were tested in 2021 by release from the Su-30 MKI at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. One configuration is based on satellite navigation while the other is based on electro-optical sensors.
  2. The electro-optical configuration is equipped with an Imaging Infra-Red seeker.
  3. Both configurations were tested in 2021 by release from the Su-30 MKI at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Which one of the following DRDO-developed air-launched weapons is the heaviest, being a 1,000 kg class glide bomb?

  • A. Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)
  • B. Advanced UAV-Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3
  • C. Long-Range Glide Bomb 'Gaurav'
  • D. RudraM-II air-to-surface missile

Q6. In the context of air-launched munitions, which one of the following statements best describes a glide bomb of the kind procured for the Indian Air Force in September 2026?

  • A. A munition released in a ballistic arc whose accuracy depends solely on the release-point computation of the launch aircraft, with no onboard guidance
  • B. A munition that cruises at low altitude to the target on a pre-programmed terrain-following route using its own turbojet engine
  • C. A munition that is rocket-boosted after release and dives onto the target under continuous laser designation from the launch aircraft
  • D. A munition without its own propulsion that extends range using aerodynamic lift after release and homes on the target using onboard guidance

Q7. The Long-Range Glide Bomb 'Gaurav', the release trials of which were conducted from the Su-30 MKI in April 2025, has been realised with the support of which one of the following as its Development-cum-Production Partners?

  • A. Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited
  • B. Adani Defence Systems & Technologies and Bharat Forge
  • C. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Munitions India Limited
  • D. Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Earth Movers Limited

Q8. Bharat Dynamics Limited is a Defence Public Sector Undertaking functioning under the administrative control of which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Defence Research and Development, Ministry of Defence
  • B. Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • C. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence

Q9. A Passive Homing Head that detects, classifies and engages targets over a wide band of frequencies, enabling Suppression of Enemy Air Defence from large stand-off ranges, is a feature of which one of the following indigenous air-launched weapons?

  • A. Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)
  • B. RUDRAM, integrated on the Su-30 MKI platform
  • C. Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) 'Gaurav'
  • D. Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile