Defence & Internal Security MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Q1. Which one of the following was the first indigenously developed third-generation anti-tank guided missile to be ordered by the Indian Army, in 2025, following field evaluation trials conducted at the Pokhran range?

  • A. Nag Mk 2, a fire-and-forget missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
  • B. MPATGM, the man-portable missile developed by DRDO's Defence Research and Development Laboratory
  • C. Javelin All Up Round, the shoulder-launched round produced by the Javelin Joint Venture
  • D. Amogha-III, the fire-and-forget missile developed in-house by Bharat Dynamics Limited

Q2. Consider the following statements about India's defence indigenisation measures: 1. Foreign direct investment in defence is permitted up to 74 per cent through the automatic route for companies seeking a new industrial licence. 2. The two Defence Industrial Corridors announced in the Union Budget of 2018-19 are located in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 3. The SRIJAN indigenisation portal, which provides an industry interface for import substitution, is maintained by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. 4. The Positive Indigenisation Lists that place an embargo on the import of specified items beyond stated timelines are notified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Foreign direct investment in defence is permitted up to 74 per cent through the automatic route for companies seeking a new industrial licence.
  2. The two Defence Industrial Corridors announced in the Union Budget of 2018-19 are located in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
  3. The SRIJAN indigenisation portal, which provides an industry interface for import substitution, is maintained by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
  4. The Positive Indigenisation Lists that place an embargo on the import of specified items beyond stated timelines are notified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 4 only

Q3. The central sector scheme that extends grants to defence start-ups, MSMEs and individual innovators through the Defence Innovation Organisation is administered by which one of the following?

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

Q4. With reference to the 2026 arrangement between Tata Advanced Systems Limited and the Javelin Joint Venture, consider the following: 1. TASL has been designated the prime partner of the Javelin Joint Venture for future in-country co-production efforts. 2. The arrangement envisages a final assembly and integration facility for the Javelin All Up Round in India, together with component production capabilities. 3. It is a binding co-production contract that transfers the manufacture of the missile's guidance electronics to the Indian facility. 4. The Javelin Joint Venture through which the arrangement is routed is a partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. TASL has been designated the prime partner of the Javelin Joint Venture for future in-country co-production efforts.
  2. The arrangement envisages a final assembly and integration facility for the Javelin All Up Round in India, together with component production capabilities.
  3. It is a binding co-production contract that transfers the manufacture of the missile's guidance electronics to the Indian facility.
  4. The Javelin Joint Venture through which the arrangement is routed is a partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q5. The Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the August 2026 Javelin anti-tank guided missile acquisition was signed on the Indian side by which one of the following?

  • A. The Indian Army, the service that will operate the weapon system
  • B. The Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence
  • C. The Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ministry of Defence
  • D. Bharat Dynamics Limited, the missile-manufacturing defence public sector undertaking

Q6. With reference to Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), consider the following: 1. Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, its joint venture with Boeing at Hyderabad, is the exclusive global source of fuselages for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. 2. Under the C-295 programme, 40 of the 56 aircraft are to be assembled in India while 16 are delivered in fly-away condition from Spain. 3. TASL is an equity joint venture between the Tata group and Airbus, in which the foreign partner holds a 49 per cent stake. 4. Over 90 per cent of the parts used in its Apache aerostructure assemblies are manufactured in India, involving more than 100 micro, small and medium enterprises. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, its joint venture with Boeing at Hyderabad, is the exclusive global source of fuselages for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
  2. Under the C-295 programme, 40 of the 56 aircraft are to be assembled in India while 16 are delivered in fly-away condition from Spain.
  3. TASL is an equity joint venture between the Tata group and Airbus, in which the foreign partner holds a 49 per cent stake.
  4. Over 90 per cent of the parts used in its Apache aerostructure assemblies are manufactured in India, involving more than 100 micro, small and medium enterprises.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q7. Which one of the following is India's first final assembly line for a complete military aircraft to be set up in the private sector?

  • A. The Tata Boeing Aerospace plant at Hyderabad that builds AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fuselages
  • B. The Tata Advanced Systems Main Component Assembly plant at Hyderabad that makes C-295 aerostructures
  • C. The Tata Aircraft Complex at Vadodara that assembles the C-295 medium transport aircraft
  • D. The proposed Tata Advanced Systems plant for final assembly and integration of the Javelin All Up Round

Q8. Consider the following statements comparing the two Javelin-related arrangements concluded by India in August 2026: 1. The Rs 292 crore acquisition was a government-to-government transaction, whereas the co-production arrangement is a memorandum of understanding between a private Indian company and a US industrial joint venture. 2. Unlike the Letter of Offer and Acceptance, which was signed by the Indian Army, the co-production memorandum was signed on India's behalf by the Department of Defence Production. 3. Under the co-production plan, guidance electronics and sub-assembly kits would continue to be produced in the United States and shipped to India for final assembly and integration. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Rs 292 crore acquisition was a government-to-government transaction, whereas the co-production arrangement is a memorandum of understanding between a private Indian company and a US industrial joint venture.
  2. Unlike the Letter of Offer and Acceptance, which was signed by the Indian Army, the co-production memorandum was signed on India's behalf by the Department of Defence Production.
  3. Under the co-production plan, guidance electronics and sub-assembly kits would continue to be produced in the United States and shipped to India for final assembly and integration.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. With reference to the United States' Foreign Military Sales route through which India contracted for the Javelin system, consider the following: 1. It is a government-to-government mechanism under which the US Government transfers defence materiel and services to foreign governments and international organisations. 2. The transaction is concluded through a Letter of Offer and Acceptance signed by the purchasing government. 3. On the US side, the sale is processed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, whose notification for India covered 100 FGM-148 rounds and 25 Lightweight Command Launch Units. 4. Under this route the Indian buyer places its order directly on Raytheon and Lockheed Martin instead of on the US Government. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It is a government-to-government mechanism under which the US Government transfers defence materiel and services to foreign governments and international organisations.
  2. The transaction is concluded through a Letter of Offer and Acceptance signed by the purchasing government.
  3. On the US side, the sale is processed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, whose notification for India covered 100 FGM-148 rounds and 25 Lightweight Command Launch Units.
  4. Under this route the Indian buyer places its order directly on Raytheon and Lockheed Martin instead of on the US Government.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q10. In the context of the agreement to manufacture the Javelin 'All Up Round (AUR)' in India, the expression 'All Up Round' denotes which one of the following?

  • A. The reusable sighting and fire-control unit together with all of its batteries, coolant and thermal optics
  • B. The entire complement of missiles authorised to an infantry battalion, held permanently at its unit magazine
  • C. The complete missile, integrated with its disposable launch tube, in the sealed condition in which it is issued to troops
  • D. An entire production batch of missiles released for despatch only after every round in it clears acceptance trials

Q11. As reported at the time of the 2026 India co-production announcement, approximately how many reusable Command Launch Units had the Javelin Joint Venture produced worldwide up to that point?

  • A. More than 5,000 units
  • B. More than 12,000 units
  • C. More than 25,000 units
  • D. More than 55,000 units

Q12. The Indian Navy has revived the Sanskrit-derived name 'Nistar', meaning rescue or deliverance, for its new class of Diving Support Vessels. These vessels are being constructed at a shipyard that functions under the administrative control of which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Military Affairs in the Ministry of Defence, which exercises control over the three armed services
  • B. The Department of Defence Production in the Ministry of Defence, which oversees the defence public sector undertakings
  • C. The Directorate General of Shipping under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, which regulates Indian shipping
  • D. The Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence, which functions through its laboratories

Q13. At Exercise Pacific Reach 2025 in September 2025, in which INS Nistar took part, India's Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle recorded which one of the following firsts?

  • A. Its first mating with a distressed submarine at a depth exceeding 650 metres, a new record for the system
  • B. The first ever induction of a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle by a littoral navy of the Indian Ocean Region
  • C. Its first-ever dive outside the Indian Ocean Region, along with successful matings with foreign submarines
  • D. Its first deployment in support of the search for a missing submarine of a foreign navy in distress

Q14. The Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, inducted alongside other indigenous platforms, were designed and constructed for the Indian Navy under which one of the following arrangements?

  • A. Designed by the Navy's own design organisation and built entirely by Cochin Shipyard Limited under a transfer of technology from a foreign yard
  • B. Designed in-house by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai and built jointly with Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam
  • C. Designed by Goa Shipyard Limited and built entirely at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata under the strategic partnership model
  • D. Designed in-house by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata and built under a public-private partnership with L&T Shipbuilders

Q15. Consider the following statements about recent indigenous inductions into the Indian Navy: 1. INS Arnala, the first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, and INS Nistar, the first indigenous Diving Support Vessel, were both commissioned during 2025 at Visakhapatnam. 2. Every ship of the Arnala class is being constructed by a single shipyard, namely Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata. 3. Both the Arnala-class craft and the Nistar-class Diving Support Vessels have been stated to incorporate more than 80% indigenous content. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. INS Arnala, the first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, and INS Nistar, the first indigenous Diving Support Vessel, were both commissioned during 2025 at Visakhapatnam.
  2. Every ship of the Arnala class is being constructed by a single shipyard, namely Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata.
  3. Both the Arnala-class craft and the Nistar-class Diving Support Vessels have been stated to incorporate more than 80% indigenous content.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q16. In India's submarine rescue arrangements, what precisely is the function of a 'mother ship' (MoSHIP) associated with the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle?

  • A. It is the shore-based command and coordination facility that directs the Submarine Rescue Units located on either seaboard of the country
  • B. It is the surface vessel that carries, launches and recovers the rescue vehicle at sea, localises the distressed submarine and supports evacuation of its crew
  • C. It is the deep-diving vehicle that mates with the escape hatch of the distressed submarine and lifts its crew to the surface in batches
  • D. It is the submarine depot ship that replenishes torpedoes, fuel and provisions to submarines operating far from their home base

Q17. Consider the following statements regarding India's submarine rescue architecture: 1. India's two Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles, inducted in 2018-19 with one for each seaboard, are capable of rescue operations down to depths of about 650 metres. 2. The Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel, which acts as the mother ship for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle, can itself undertake diving and salvage operations up to about 300 metres. 3. The deep sea submarine rescue system is operated and deployed by the Navy's Submarine Rescue Unit, the western unit being based at Mumbai. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India's two Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles, inducted in 2018-19 with one for each seaboard, are capable of rescue operations down to depths of about 650 metres.
  2. The Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel, which acts as the mother ship for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle, can itself undertake diving and salvage operations up to about 300 metres.
  3. The deep sea submarine rescue system is operated and deployed by the Navy's Submarine Rescue Unit, the western unit being based at Mumbai.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q18. With reference to the first-of-class Diving Support Vessel INS Nistar, consider the following: 1. It was launched at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, in September 2022, on the same day as the second vessel of its class. 2. It was delivered to the Indian Navy by the shipyard in the same month in which it was commissioned. 3. Its commissioning preceded the commissioning of INS Androth into the Indian Navy. 4. It takes its name from the northernmost island of the Lakshadweep group. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was launched at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, in September 2022, on the same day as the second vessel of its class.
  2. It was delivered to the Indian Navy by the shipyard in the same month in which it was commissioned.
  3. Its commissioning preceded the commissioning of INS Androth into the Indian Navy.
  4. It takes its name from the northernmost island of the Lakshadweep group.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4

Q19. Consider the following statements about the two vessels of the Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel project: 1. The two vessels were launched on separate dates, the second vessel following the first by about three months. 2. The first-of-class was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 July 2025 at Visakhapatnam. 3. The second vessel of the class, Nipun, carries the builder's yard number 11191. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The two vessels were launched on separate dates, the second vessel following the first by about three months.
  2. The first-of-class was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 July 2025 at Visakhapatnam.
  3. The second vessel of the class, Nipun, carries the builder's yard number 11191.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q20. In Indian naval shipbuilding practice, as reflected in the recorded milestones of the two Diving Support Vessels at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, the 'launch' of a warship denotes which one of the following?

  • A. The formal handing over of the vessel by the shipyard to the Navy after the completion of successful sea trials and acceptance checks
  • B. The ceremonial induction of the vessel into the Navy, when the naval ensign is hoisted and the ship acquires the prefix 'INS'
  • C. The transfer of the built-up hull from the building berth into the water, after which fitting out and sea trials are carried out
  • D. The first cutting of steel plates for the hull of the ship in the fabrication shop of the shipyard, marking the start of construction

Q21. Consider the following statements comparing two recent indigenous Indian Navy shipbuilding projects: 1. The Nistar-class Diving Support Vessels are built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, while the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft are built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata. 2. The Arnala-class craft are meant for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and low intensity maritime operations, whereas the Nistar-class is meant for deep sea saturation diving and submarine rescue. 3. The Arnala-class craft were constructed under a public-private partnership between the designing shipyard and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Nistar-class Diving Support Vessels are built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, while the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft are built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata.
  2. The Arnala-class craft are meant for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and low intensity maritime operations, whereas the Nistar-class is meant for deep sea saturation diving and submarine rescue.
  3. The Arnala-class craft were constructed under a public-private partnership between the designing shipyard and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q22. Consider the following statements regarding the Indian Navy's present Nistar-class Diving Support Vessels and the earlier vessel of the same name: 1. The earlier Nistar was a submarine rescue vessel acquired from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971, serving the Navy for about two decades in diving and submarine rescue roles. 2. The present Nistar-class vessels were acquired from a foreign shipyard and subsequently modified in India for the diving support role. 3. The present class is markedly smaller than its predecessor, displacing about 1,500 tonnes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The earlier Nistar was a submarine rescue vessel acquired from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971, serving the Navy for about two decades in diving and submarine rescue roles.
  2. The present Nistar-class vessels were acquired from a foreign shipyard and subsequently modified in India for the diving support role.
  3. The present class is markedly smaller than its predecessor, displacing about 1,500 tonnes.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q23. With reference to end-use assurance requirements in India's defence export control regime, which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. A Government-signed end-use certificate is required for every export of Munitions List items, without any exception whatsoever.
  • B. For civil-end-use export of systems or platforms to Wassenaar Arrangement member countries, an end-use certificate or equivalent import certificate issued by the importing country's government is required.
  • C. End-use certificates for all Indian defence exports are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on behalf of the exporting Indian company.
  • D. The requirement of any end-use assurance has been entirely done away with for all exports made under an Open General Export Licence.

Q24. In the context of India's defence industrial policy, a 'positive indigenisation list' notified by the Ministry of Defence is a list of items:

  • A. reserved exclusively for manufacture by Defence Public Sector Undertakings
  • B. permitted for export under an Open General Export Licence without prior authorisation
  • C. on which an embargo on import operates beyond the timeline indicated against each item
  • D. in which foreign direct investment is allowed through the automatic route

Q25. In the financial year 2025-26, one segment of India's defence industry registered a year-on-year export surge of about 151 per cent. That surge was recorded by which one of the following?

  • A. Private sector defence manufacturing companies
  • B. Micro, small and medium enterprises in the defence sector
  • C. Technology-transfer licensees of the DRDO
  • D. Defence Public Sector Undertakings

Q26. India's defence exports touched their highest-ever annual level in the financial year 2025-26. Which one of the following correctly states that figure together with its growth over the preceding financial year?

  • A. Rs 23,622 crore, a growth of about 12 per cent
  • B. Rs 38,424 crore, a growth of about 63 per cent
  • C. Rs 38,424 crore, a growth of about 12 per cent
  • D. Rs 50,000 crore, a growth of about 63 per cent

Q27. The Department of Defence Production functions as the licensing authority for export of Category 6 (Munitions List) items by virtue of which one of the following?

  • A. A delegation of authority by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade through a Public Notice issued in 2017
  • B. A licensing power conferred directly upon it by the Arms Act, 1959, as subsequently amended
  • C. A delegation of authority by the Ministry of External Affairs under India's Wassenaar Arrangement commitments
  • D. A provision of the Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020, notified by the Ministry of Defence

Q28. The Standard Operating Procedure governing the export of items falling in Category 6 (Munitions List) of the SCOMET list is issued by which one of the following?

  • A. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence
  • C. The Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division, Ministry of External Affairs
  • D. The Department of Defence Research and Development, Ministry of Defence

Q29. With reference to the 2026 revision of India's Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure, consider the following categories of export: 1. Non-lethal defence items destined for countries other than sensitive/negative destinations 2. Items sent abroad for participation in international tenders 3. Items sent abroad for display at international exhibitions 4. Lethal major platforms exported to Wassenaar Arrangement member countries Which of the above is/are correctly identified as categories for which mandatory inter-ministerial stakeholder consultation has been dispensed with?

  1. Non-lethal defence items destined for countries other than sensitive/negative destinations
  2. Items sent abroad for participation in international tenders
  3. Items sent abroad for display at international exhibitions
  4. Lethal major platforms exported to Wassenaar Arrangement member countries
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 only

Q30. Consider the following statements regarding the change made in 2026 to the requirement of inter-ministerial stakeholder consultation for Indian defence exports: 1. Before the revision, exports of non-lethal defence items attracted mandatory stakeholder consultation; this requirement has now been dispensed with for most destinations. 2. The consultation requirement has also been removed for exports of items meant for international tenders and exhibitions. 3. The revision extends the dispensation to every destination, including countries under United Nations Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Before the revision, exports of non-lethal defence items attracted mandatory stakeholder consultation; this requirement has now been dispensed with for most destinations.
  2. The consultation requirement has also been removed for exports of items meant for international tenders and exhibitions.
  3. The revision extends the dispensation to every destination, including countries under United Nations Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3