Arjan Singh Biography

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC, was India's oldest-serving officer who held various key positions, including that of the Chief of the Air Staff. Known for his strategic vision, leadership, and competence, he had the honour of leading the first fly-past of an RIAF aircraft over Delhi’s Red Fort on 15 August 1947. A few years following independence, Singh was promoted to the Chief of the Air Staff. Born in the town of Lyallpur, British India, into a Jat household, he grew up in a family with an army background. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather had held lower and middle ranks in the army. Singh, however, was the first member in his family to acquire the rank of a commissioned officer. In 1966, he became the first IAF officer to become Air Chief Marshal. In 2002, he became the first and the only IAF officer to be promoted to Marshal of the Indian Air Force, a five-star rank equal to the army rank of Field Marshal. After retirement from the army, Singh served as a diplomat and advisor to the Indian government. A father of three, the legendary air force officer died in 2017 following a cardiac arrest. He was 98.