Defence Technology: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Science and Technology)
11 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on defence technology are listed here, from 2007 to 2025. UPSC asks about unmanned aerial vehicles, high-energy explosives, missile types, aircraft and Indian platforms such as Dhruv and the Barak system. The 2025 paper asked about UAVs, CL-20 and aircraft types. The explanations give each platform’s role and origin.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
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UPSC 2007Science and Technology · Defence Technology
Q11. What is the Galileo Project which has been in the news recently?
Explanation
The Galileo Project is a multi-satellite navigation system being developed by the European Union (EU). Galileo consists of 24 satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of 23,000 km. The signals of Galileo are freely transmitted to anyone who has a device capable of receiving its signals (e.g., smartphone). Galileo is four times more accurate than GPS providing 1 meter accuracy and a broad range of services. It is designed to provide an independent global positioning system (GPS) for civilian and commercial use, reducing reliance on GPS systems controlled by other countries, such as the United States. Galileo aims to offer highly accurate and reliable positioning and timing information worldwide, supporting applications in transportation, telecommunications, and other critical sectors.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
11
2007
(d) A multi-satellite navigation project being developed by the European Union
What UPSC has tested in Defence Technology
CL-20, HMX and LLM-105 are explosives used in military weapons.
Dhruv is an advanced light helicopter.
The Barak anti-missile defence system was bought from Israel.
INS Sindhughosh is a submarine, not an aircraft carrier.
Ballistic missiles follow a ballistic trajectory after the powered phase; they are not jet-propelled at subsonic speed.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Defence Technology?
This page covers 11 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Defence Technology (Science and Technology), asked from 2007 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
What are CL-20, HMX and LLM-105?
High-energy explosive materials used in military weapons such as warheads and missiles. They are far more powerful than conventional explosives, and they are neither refrigerants nor fuels for rocket propulsion, which is how the options are usually worded.
What is Dhruv?
An advanced light helicopter designed and built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian armed forces. It is used for transport, utility and attack roles and has been exported to other countries.
From which country did India buy the Barak system?
Israel. Barak is an anti-missile defence system mounted on Indian Navy ships to defend against sea-skimming missiles, and India later developed an extended-range version jointly with Israel for use on land and on warships.
