UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Pakistan deployed fighter jets, 8,000 troops to Saudi Arabia during Iran war

Q1. Under the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), an act of aggression against either party is to be treated as aggression against both. As it stands, how many sovereign states are parties to this agreement?

  • A. One
  • B. Two
  • C. Four
  • D. Six

Q2. Which arm of the Government of India issued the official response stating that New Delhi would 'study the implications' of the Saudi–Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement for national security and regional stability?

  • A. Ministry of Defence
  • B. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • C. Ministry of External Affairs
  • D. National Security Council Secretariat

Q3. In the squadron of roughly 16 combat aircraft that Pakistan deployed to Saudi Arabia under the defence pact, which single type of fighter made up the majority of the jets?

  • A. F-16 Fighting Falcon
  • B. JF-17 Thunder
  • C. Dassault Mirage III
  • D. Chengdu J-10C

Q4. With reference to the assets Pakistan deployed to Saudi Arabia under the 2025 defence pact, consider the following statements: 1. The long-range air-defence system positioned there was the Chinese HQ-9. 2. The fighter squadron consisted mainly of JF-17 jets co-produced with China. 3. The deployment was financed by Pakistan while the equipment was operated by Saudi personnel. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The long-range air-defence system positioned there was the Chinese HQ-9.
  2. The fighter squadron consisted mainly of JF-17 jets co-produced with China.
  3. The deployment was financed by Pakistan while the equipment was operated by Saudi personnel.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. With reference to the nuclear dimension of the Saudi–Pakistan defence pact, consider the following statements: 1. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state that is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 2. Saudi Arabia is a member of the NPT. 3. The published text of the pact explicitly places Saudi Arabia under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state that is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
  2. Saudi Arabia is a member of the NPT.
  3. The published text of the pact explicitly places Saudi Arabia under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The remark that Pakistan's capabilities 'will be made available' under the pact — later walked back with the clarification that nuclear weapons were 'not on the radar' — was made by the holder of which office in Pakistan?

  • A. Prime Minister
  • B. Defence Minister
  • C. Chief of Army Staff
  • D. Foreign Minister

Q7. Which one of the following correctly describes the production arrangement of the JF-17 Thunder fighter deployed by Pakistan?

  • A. It is jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation.
  • B. It is manufactured exclusively in China with no Pakistani industrial role whatsoever.
  • C. It is a wholly indigenous Pakistani aircraft designed with no foreign input at all.
  • D. It is a licensed copy of the American F-16 built entirely within Saudi Arabia.

Q8. Although the JF-17 Thunder is co-developed by two countries, in whose air force does it serve in the largest numbers, forming the mainstay of its fleet?

  • A. China
  • B. Pakistan
  • C. Saudi Arabia
  • D. Bangladesh

Q9. The HQ-9, a Chinese-origin system that Pakistan positioned in Saudi Arabia, is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system
  • B. A surface-to-surface ballistic missile
  • C. An air-launched anti-ship cruise missile
  • D. A man-portable anti-tank guided missile

Q10. With reference to the history of Pakistan–Saudi Arabia military cooperation, consider the following statements: 1. The two countries first signed a defence cooperation agreement in 1967. 2. Pakistani special forces assisted Saudi forces during the 1979 Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) seizure. 3. They upgraded their defence cooperation through a bilateral agreement in 1982. 4. The 2025 Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement was the first-ever defence arrangement between the two states. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The two countries first signed a defence cooperation agreement in 1967.
  2. Pakistani special forces assisted Saudi forces during the 1979 Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) seizure.
  3. They upgraded their defence cooperation through a bilateral agreement in 1982.
  4. The 2025 Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement was the first-ever defence arrangement between the two states.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q11. The SMDA clause treating an armed attack on either signatory as an attack on both — the mechanism through which Gulf states are hedging their security — is the defining feature of which security concept?

  • A. Collective (mutual) defence
  • B. Non-alignment
  • C. Deterrence by denial
  • D. Strategic autonomy

Q12. Reflecting India's high stakes in West Asia that shape its cautious response to the Saudi–Pakistan pact, which region accounts for the largest share of India's overseas nationals (NRIs)?

  • A. North America
  • B. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states
  • C. Southeast Asia
  • D. Western Europe