Armed Forces & Defence Questions 2026 (PMA, Navy, PAF)

Pakistan Armed Forces & Defence Q/A 2026 — Army, Navy, PAF Initial Tests | 75 Notes

These 75 advanced Defence and Pakistan Armed Forces Q/A notes cover military history, Pakistan Army structure, nuclear doctrine, defence operations, and strategic affairs — essential for Army Initial Test, Navy, PAF, ISSB, and CSS/PMS candidates.

Section 1 — Pakistan Military History & Wars (25 Q/A)

#	Question	Answer
1	Pakistan Army was established on which date?	14 August 1947
2	Pakistan's first Commander-in-Chief of the Army was:	General Sir Frank Messervy (British) — later General Ayub Khan (first Pakistani C-in-C)
3	The 1965 war between Pakistan and India started with which Pakistani military operation?	Operation Gibraltar
4	Pakistan's largest military operation against militants in FATA was:	Operation Zarb-e-Azb (2014, North Waziristan)
5	The 1971 war resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. The Pakistani forces surrendered on:	16 December 1971 (Dhaka)
6	Operation Rah-e-Nijat (2009) was conducted against militants in:	South Waziristan
7	Pakistan's military operation in Swat (2009) was named:	Operation Rah-e-Haq / Operation Rah-e-Rast
8	The Battle of Longewala (1971) was fought in which sector?	Rajasthan sector (India-Pakistan western front)
9	Pakistan's response to India's Operation Sindoor (May 2025) was named:	Operation Bunyan Marsoos
10	Pakistan's Siachen conflict with India over Siachen Glacier began in:	1984 (India's Operation Meghdoot)
11	Operation Grand Slam (1965) was aimed at capturing which strategic town?	Akhnoor (Jammu and Kashmir)
12	The Kargil conflict (1999) was fought at an average altitude of:	Over 18,000 feet above sea level
13	Operation Azm-e-Istehkam was launched by Pakistan in 2024 targeting:	TTP and Fitna al-Khawarij militants across Pakistan
14	Pakistan's highest military award for valour is:	Nishan-e-Haider
15	How many officers have received the Nishan-e-Haider so far?	6 officers (all posthumously)
16	Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed received the Nishan-e-Haider during which war?	1965 War (Battle of BRB Canal)
17	The Pakistan Air Force shot down how many Indian aircraft during Operation Bunyan Marsoos in May 2025?	5 Indian Air Force jets (including Rafales) as per Pakistan's official claim
18	Pakistan's nuclear command authority is known as:	National Command Authority (NCA)
19	Pakistan's nuclear programme was founded by:	Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (initiated 1972) — Dr. A.Q. Khan led uranium enrichment
20	Pakistan's first surface-to-surface ballistic missile was:	Hatf-I (range 80 km, tested 1989)
21	The PAF's JF-17 Thunder aircraft was developed in collaboration with:	China (Chengdu Aircraft Corporation)
22	Pakistan Navy's largest warship class is:	Type 054A/P frigates (acquired from China)
23	The SSG (Special Services Group) of Pakistan Army is comparable to which US unit?	US Army Special Forces (Green Berets)
24	Pakistan's tri-service headquarters is located at:	Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) — Rawalpindi
25	The current Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) of Pakistan (2026) is:	General Sahir Shamshad Mirza

Section 2 — Pakistan Army Structure & Ranks (25 Q/A)

#	Question	Answer
26	The highest military rank in Pakistan Army is:	Field Marshal (honorary) — General is highest active rank
27	Which rank is directly above Brigadier in Pakistan Army?	Major General
28	A "Corps" in Pakistan Army is commanded by which rank officer?	Lieutenant General
29	Pakistan Army's primary officer training academy is:	Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul, Abbottabad
30	National Defence University (NDU) is located in:	Islamabad
31	A "Division" in Pakistan Army consists of how many Brigades approximately?	3 Brigades
32	Pakistan Air Force Academy is located at:	Risalpur, KPK
33	Pakistan Naval Academy is located at:	Manora, Karachi
34	The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was established in which year?	1948
35	ISPR stands for:	Inter-Services Public Relations
36	The rank of "Naib Subedar" in Pakistan Army is equivalent to which BPS grade?	BPS-12 (Junior Commissioned Officer)
37	The ISSB (Inter Services Selection Board) tests candidates for which entry?	Officer entry into all three armed forces (Army, Navy, PAF)
38	Pakistan's Army has how many operational Corps?	9 Corps (including Strategic Forces Command)
39	The Pakistan Army's Corps of Engineers performs which primary function?	Military engineering — bridge construction, fortification, obstacle clearing
40	The Frontier Corps (FC) operates primarily in which provinces?	Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)
41	Pakistan Rangers are deployed primarily in which provinces?	Punjab (Punjab Rangers) and Sindh (Sindh Rangers)
42	The Coast Guards of Pakistan operate under which ministry?	Ministry of Maritime Affairs
43	Pakistan's JF-17 Block III aircraft is equipped with which advanced capability?	AESA radar, PL-15 beyond visual range missiles, helmet-mounted display
44	The Shaheen-III ballistic missile has a range of approximately:	2,750 km (can reach all of India)
45	Pakistan's nuclear policy is called:	Full Spectrum Deterrence (FSD)
46	The Babur cruise missile of Pakistan has a range of approximately:	700 km (Babur-3 submarine-launched version)
47	Pakistan Army's motto is:	Iman, Taqwa, Jihad Fi Sabilillah (Faith, Piety, Struggle in the way of Allah)
48	Pakistan contributes to UN peacekeeping in which countries as of 2026?	Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), South Sudan (UNMISS), Central African Republic, and others
49	The COAS General Syed Asim Munir holds which additional title?	Hafiz-e-Quran (memorised the Holy Quran)
50	Pakistan's military spending as a percentage of GDP is approximately:	3.5-4% of GDP

Section 3 — Strategic Affairs & Nuclear Doctrine (25 Q/A)

#	Question	Answer
51	Pakistan's nuclear doctrine is based on:	Credible Minimum Deterrence with Full Spectrum Deterrence capability
52	Pakistan has NOT signed which major nuclear treaty?	NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) and CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty)
53	"Cold Start Doctrine" was developed by India in response to:	Pakistan's nuclear deterrence — aims for rapid conventional strikes below nuclear threshold
54	Pakistan developed the Nasr (Hatf-IX) short-range tactical nuclear missile to counter:	India's Cold Start Doctrine
55	The CTBT has been signed by how many countries but is still not in force because:	8 Annex 2 states (including India, Pakistan, USA) have not ratified
56	Pakistan's nuclear warhead estimate by independent analysts (2026) is approximately:	170-185 warheads
57	The National Command Authority (NCA) in Pakistan is headed by:	Prime Minister of Pakistan
58	Pakistan's ballistic missile "Ghauri" is named after which historical figure?	Muhammad Ghori (Sultan of Ghor)
59	The Agosta-90B submarines of Pakistan Navy are capable of:	Conventional underwater operations + Babur-3 cruise missile launch capability
60	China is supplying Pakistan with which 8th generation submarine class?	Type 039B (Yuan class) submarines
61	The concept of "hybrid warfare" combines:	Conventional military, irregular warfare, cyber attacks, disinformation, and economic coercion
62	Pakistan's Air Defence Command operates which primary air defence missile system?	HQ-9/P (Chinese equivalent of S-300) and Spada 2000
63	FATF's grey listing of Pakistan (2018-2022) was based on concerns about:	Money laundering and terrorist financing deficiencies
64	Pakistan was removed from FATF Grey List in:	October 2022
65	The term "strategic depth" in Pakistan's military doctrine refers to:	Using Afghanistan as a strategic buffer/rear base in case of conflict with India
66	Pakistan's defence production organization is called:	Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) + Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) + NESCOM + SUPARCO
67	Al-Khalid (MBT-2000) is Pakistan's main battle tank developed with:	China (based on Type 90-II)
68	The AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters were supplied to Pakistan by:	United States of America
69	The concept of "deterrence" in strategic affairs means:	Preventing an adversary from attacking by making costs of attack unacceptably high
70	The Ghaznavi missile (Hatf-III) has a range of:	290 km (short-range ballistic missile)
71	Pakistan's SUPARCO was established in:	1961
72	Pakistan's Islamabad Security Dialogue is an annual event focused on:	Strategic stability, regional security, and nuclear policy discussions
73	The term "minimum credible deterrence" means Pakistan will:	Maintain only the minimum nuclear weapons needed to deter — not pursue arms race
74	Pakistan's first communication satellite was:	Badr-1 (1990)
75	Pakistan's current COAS General Syed Asim Munir took charge in which year?	November 2022

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Do these notes cover the ISSB Initial Test?
A: Yes, these Q/A notes are specifically designed to cover the military history, ranks, and strategic affairs frequently asked in Pakistan Army, Navy, and PAF initial selection tests.

Q2: What is Pakistan's current nuclear doctrine?
A: Pakistan officially follows the policy of "Credible Minimum Deterrence" combined with a "Full Spectrum Deterrence" capability.

Q3: Are these Defence notes useful for CSS/PMS Pakistan Affairs?
A: Absolutely! Questions regarding military operations, defence treaties, and strategic developments are a core part of the CSS syllabus.