Defence Current Affairs 25 May 2026

In Defence Current Affairs for 25 May 2026, we will see the latest national and international current affairs news. These important current affairs will be...

In Defence Current Affairs for 25 May 2026, we will see the latest national and international current affairs news. These important current affairs will be beneficial for your upcoming NDA, CDS, CDS OTA, AFCAT, TA, Agniveer Army, Agniveer Navy, Agniveer Air Force, Women Military Police, INET, MNS, ACC exams, SCO, PCSL, CAPF, and SSB interviews, and direct entries for Army, Navy, and Air Force like SSC Tech, TGC, JAG, NCC, TES, 10+2 Cadet. Download a PDF file about current events at the end of this article. Let us now see the Current Affairs.

Defence Current Affairs 25 May 2026

Inauguration of NIBE’s Mega Defence Complex in Shirdi

India took another major step towards defence self-reliance with the inauguration of a large-scale defence manufacturing facility by Rajnath Singh in Shirdi, Maharashtra. The newly established complex belongs to NIBE Limited and represents one of the biggest private-sector investments in India’s defence industry.

Spread across nearly 200 acres in the Ahilyanagar district, the facility is designed to manufacture advanced military equipment including artillery shells, rockets, missile systems, drones, explosives, and autonomous defence platforms. The plant is expected to significantly strengthen India’s indigenous defence production capabilities under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

One of the most notable features of the complex is its capacity to manufacture around five lakh 155 mm artillery shells annually, making it the country’s largest private artillery shell production unit. The project involves an investment of more than ₹3,000 crore and is expected to create large-scale employment opportunities while boosting the regional industrial economy.

During the inauguration ceremony, the first Suryastra Universal Rocket Launcher System was also flagged off. The launcher is capable of firing rockets with operational ranges of 150 km and 300 km. The system had recently undergone successful testing at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, where it demonstrated high levels of accuracy and operational efficiency.

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India and Oman Expand Defence Cooperation

India and Oman further strengthened their defence relationship through a specialised military training programme conducted for personnel of the Sultan’s Armed Forces of Oman.

The initiative was carried out by two Indian Mobile Training Teams comprising officers from the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff along with personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The programme focused on improving operational coordination, joint logistics management, and interoperability among defence forces.

Around 110 officers from different branches of Oman’s military and defence establishments participated in the training sessions. The exercise reflected the growing strategic trust and military cooperation between the two countries.

India also reiterated the importance of maritime security in the region after condemning an attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel near the Omani coast. India described the attack as unacceptable and emphasised the need to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of civilian maritime activities in West Asia.

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India and Russia Deepen Military Partnership

India and Russia continued discussions aimed at expanding their long-standing military cooperation during the 5th Sub Working Group (Land) meeting held under the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation.

The meeting marked another important development in defence relations between the Indian Army and the Russian Land Forces. Both sides explored ways to enhance cooperation in defence manufacturing, military technology, and strategic coordination.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted that India and Russia had engaged in extensive discussions covering defence production, space collaboration, and fertiliser cooperation.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India in September to attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The visit will further reinforce the “privileged strategic partnership” shared by the two nations. Putin had previously visited India during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit held in December 2025.

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Graduation Ceremony of the 48th Flight Test Course

The Air Force Test Pilots School in Bengaluru conducted the graduation ceremony of the 48th Flight Test Course on 23 May 2026. The programme marked the successful completion of intensive 48-week training for eleven Test Pilots and six Flight Test Engineers.

The graduating batch included officers from all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces, including the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, and Indian Navy. After graduation, the officers will join the Aviation Wing of the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, one of the premier testing units of the Indian Air Force.

The ceremony was attended by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who served as the Chief Guest and presented awards to outstanding performers.

Several prestigious honours were awarded during the event:

  • The Suranjan Das Trophy for best all-round student Test Pilot was awarded to Sqn Ldr KK Singh.
  • The Chief of the Air Staff Trophy for excellence in flight evaluation was awarded to Sqn Ldr Aditya Jamdagni.
  • The Maharaja Hanumanth Singh Sword for best all-round Flight Test Engineer went to Wg Cdr Abhinav Kumar.
  • The Dunlop Trophy was awarded to Wg Cdr Pranav Sharma.
  • The Kapil Bhargava Trophy for excellence in ground subjects was awarded to Sqn Ldr Paras Sharma.

During his address, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh stressed the importance of indigenous defence development and highlighted the crucial role of test crews in strengthening India’s aerospace and defence ecosystem.

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Key Highlights of Marco Rubio’s India Visit

Marco Rubio visited India at a significant time in India-US relations, with discussions focusing on diplomacy, regional security, and strategic cooperation.

During the visit, Rubio announced the establishment of a new consular wing at the US Embassy in New Delhi. According to him, the facility would improve visa processing, screening, and security procedures while supporting American diplomatic operations in India.

Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev observed that the visit came during a challenging phase in India-US relations, which had experienced policy disagreements over the past year. However, he noted that both nations still share strong long-term strategic interests.

Rubio also stated that the United States could make important announcements regarding Iran in the coming days, reflecting growing international attention on regional security developments in West Asia.

US Ambassador Sergio Gor conveyed an invitation from Donald Trump to Narendra Modi for an official visit to the White House in the near future.

After meeting Rubio, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that discussions focused on the steady progress of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership along with issues related to regional and global peace and security.

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Review Questions

  1. Which defence manufacturing company inaugurated its mega defence
    complex in Shirdi, Maharashtra?
    A. HAL
    B. DRDO
    C. NIBE Limited
    D. BEL
    ANSWER: C
  2. The Suryastra Universal Rocket Launcher System showcased at the Shirdi
    defence complex is capable of firing rockets up to which maximum range?
    A. 100 km
    B. 150 km
    C. 200 km
    D. 300 km
    ANSWER: D
  3. The 48th Flight Test Course graduation ceremony was conducted at which
    institution?
    A. National Defence Academy
    B. Air Force Test Pilots School
    C. Defence Services Staff College
    D. Indian Naval Academy
    ANSWER: B
  4. Which organisation successfully completed the final development trials of the
    indigenous ULPGM-V3 precision-guided missile in May 2026?
    A. DRDO
    B. ISRO
    C. HAL
    D. BEL
    ANSWER: A
  5. Who became the first woman officer in Indian Air Force history to earn the
    Category-A Qualified Flying Instructor rating in 2026?
    A. Saanya
    B. Shaliza Dhami
    C. Avani Chaturvedi
    D. Bhawana Kanth
    ANSWER: A
  6. Which company entered into a strategic collaboration with France-based Exail
    for the Indian Navy’s Unmanned Mine Counter-Measure Suite in May 2026?
    A. L&T
    B. BEL
    C. HAL
    D. BHEL
    ANSWER: A
  7. Who Is The Responsible Minister Of The Defence Acquisition Council?
    A. Home Minister
    B. Defence Minister
    C. External Affairs Minister
    D. PM
    ANSWER: B
  8. ‘Air Independent Propulsion System’ Is Inducted
    A. Helicopter
    B. UAV
    C. Submarine
    D. Destroyer
    ANSWER: C
  9. Regimental Centre of GARHWAL RIFLES Is In
    A. Happy Valley, Shillong, Meghalaya
    B. Ranikhet, Uttarakhand
    C. Lansdowne, Uttarakhand
    D. None of the above
    ANSWER: C
  10. Exercises B/w The India And UK Is Called:
    A. Desert Eagle
    B. SLINEX
    C. Indra
    D. Indradhanush
    ANSWER: D
  11. ‘Nirdeshak’ Ship Is built by
    A. MDL
    B. GRSE
    C. CSL
    D. DRDO
    ANSWER: B
  12. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island Is Located At
    A. A&N
    B. Ladakh
    C. J&K
    D. Puducherry
    ANSWER: A
  13. V. O. Chidambaranar Port Trust Is Located In
    A. T.N
    B. M.H
    C. Goa
    D. A.P
    ANSWER: A
  14. Full-Form of ATAGS Is
    A. Adventure Towed Artillery Gun System
    B. Advanced To Artillery Gun System
    C. Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System
    D. Advanced Towed Artillery Gum System
    ANSWER: C
  15. At Which Of The Following Places Is The Heavy Vehicles Factory Located?
    A. Kanpur
    B. Khadki
    C. Avadi
    D. 24 Paraganas
    ANSWER: C
  16. Sofia Is The Capital Of
    A. Brunei
    B. Qatar
    C. UAE
    D. Bulgaria
    ANSWER: D
  17. “Prashata Ranvirta” Is A Motto Of
    A. Jammu And Kashmir Rifles
    B. Gorkha Regiment
    C. Punjab Regiment
    D. None
    ANSWER: A
  18. Exercises B/w India And Bangladesh Is Called:
    A. GARUDA SHAKTI
    B. SLINEX
    C. SAMPRITI
    D. Yudha Abhyas
    ANSWER: C
  19. Barrett M95 Is A
    A. Sniper Rifles
    B. Helicopter
    C. ATAGS
    D. ATGM
    ANSWER: A
  20. Astra Is A
    A. Air-to-air Missile
    B. Air-to-surface Missile
    C. Air-to-sea Missile
    D. None
    ANSWER: A

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Divyanshu Pandey

Senior Lecturer General Studies, SSBCrackExams, Cleared CDS 4 times, NDA 2 times, Ex- N.C.C. cadet, SSB Expert. Passionate Teacher, Trained defence aspirants for their SSB Interview, BSc in PCM expertise in Geography, Indian Polity, Current Affairs and Defence affairs. Writing Article and Travelling solo.

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