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DefenceMedium

Who chaired the Indian Air Force's Industry Outreach Programme on unmanned and autonomous systems held on 21 October 2026?

  1. A.The Chief of Air Staff
  2. B.The Director General (Weapon Systems), Air Headquarters
  3. C.The Defence Secretary
  4. D.The Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation

Correct answer

B. The Director General (Weapon Systems), Air Headquarters

Explanation

The correct answer is the Director General (Weapon Systems), Air Headquarters, the post held by Air Marshal Premkumar K, VM, VSM, who chaired the programme at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 21 October 2026. Around 100 representatives of drone companies and allied industry partners attended, which the Air Force treated as a measure of its growing engagement with the unmanned ecosystem in the country. Option A is wrong: the Chief of Air Staff did not chair this outreach. Option C is wrong, as the Defence Secretary had no stated role in it, the programme being run from Air Headquarters. Option D is wrong because the research organisation is not named in connection with chairing this event. Questions on such programmes usually test the chair's appointment rather than the officer's name, so the designation Director General (Weapon Systems) is the part to carry into the examination hall.

Read the full article: IAF Holds Industry Outreach on Unmanned Systems Roadmap

Practice Questions

Q1.DefenceMedium

At which event was the IAF Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Roadmap released?

  1. A.Aero India 2026 at Bengaluru
  2. B.IAF Dronathon 2026 at Pokhran
  3. C.DefExpo 2026 at Gandhinagar
  4. D.Exercise Vayu Shakti at Jaisalmer
Show answer
Correct answer: B. IAF Dronathon 2026 at Pokhran

The roadmap was released there on 14 September 2026, and the Industry Outreach Programme of 21 October 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi was built on it, with the roadmap booklet distributed to industry partners on that day.

Q2.DefenceMedium

Which of the following was named by the IAF as a critical technology area for unmanned and autonomous systems?

  1. A.Resilient navigation
  2. B.Hypersonic glide vehicles
  3. C.Nuclear propulsion for aircraft
  4. D.Satellite launch vehicles
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Resilient navigation

At the outreach the Air Force listed four areas needing focused attention: indigenous propulsion, autonomous software, resilient navigation and standardised interfaces, all of them meant to cut dependence on external sources and strengthen the domestic defence ecosystem.

Q3.DefenceMedium

Onboard which Indian Navy ships was the opening ceremony of SIMBEX-2026 held?

  1. A.INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya
  2. B.INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta
  3. C.INS Delhi and INS Mumbai
  4. D.INS Shivalik and INS Satpura
Show answer
Correct answer: B. INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta

The opening ceremony of SIMBEX-2026 took place on 21 October 2026 onboard these two Indian Navy warships at Visakhapatnam, and it was attended by the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of the Eastern Naval Command, the Fleet Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy and other senior officers of both navies.

Q4.DefenceMedium

Under what name was the SIMBEX series first held in 1994?

  1. A.Exercise Sea Dragon
  2. B.Exercise Lion King
  3. C.Exercise Tiger Triumph
  4. D.Exercise Bold Kurukshetra
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Exercise Lion King

The series now known as SIMBEX was first conducted in 1994 under that name, and it has since widened in scope and complexity to become a significant maritime engagement between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy.