IAF Marshal Arjan Singh, known for his role in 1965 Indo-Pak war, dies at 98
He was admitted to the Army Hospital Research and Referral after he suffered a heart attack earlier on Saturday.
New Delhi: Arjan Singh, Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF), died on Saturday at the age of 98.
Singh, known for his role in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, was admitted to the Army Hospital Research and Referral after he suffered a heart attack. He was the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to the five-star rank.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IAF chief BS Dhanoa had visited Singh at the hospital earlier on Saturday.
An icon of the Indian military history, Singh had led a young IAF into the war in 1965 when he was hardly 44 years of age.
In 1965, when Pakistan had launched its Operation Grand Slam with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor, Singh led the Indian Air Force through the war with courage, determination and professional skill.
He inspired the IAF to victory, despite the constraints imposed on a full-scale use of air force combat power.