Arjan Singh: The only five-star officer in the history of the Indian Air Force
In short: Arjan Singh was a legendary aviator who rose from a colonial-era pilot to the first and only Marshal of the Indian Air Force. A veteran of the Burma Campaign and the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, he remained a towering, active figure in Indian military life for nearly a century.
Born in 1919 into a family with a deep tradition of military service, Arjan Singh broke new ground as the first commissioned officer in his lineage. After graduating from the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1939, he quickly distinguished himself during World War II. Commanding No. 1 Squadron during the Arakan Campaign in 1944, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his leadership and courage under fire. His early career was defined by a relentless drive for action; he famously lobbied commanders to move his squadron to the front lines to fight the Japanese, eventually leading them into the thick of combat.
Singh’s career trajectory was marked by a series of firsts. He led the first fly-past over Delhi’s Red Fort in 1947 and became the first Indian Air Force officer to be promoted to Air Chief Marshal in 1966. His leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War is particularly celebrated; when asked by Defence Minister Y. B. Chavan how quickly the Air Force could respond to an urgent threat, Singh calmly promised action within an hour—a promise he kept. This decisive performance helped secure strategic victories and earned him the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.
Following his retirement in 1969, Singh remained a public servant, holding roles as an ambassador, high commissioner, and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. His legacy was cemented in 2002 when he was conferred the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force, a five-star rank equivalent to a Field Marshal and held for life. Even in his nineties, he remained a fixture of the service, playing golf and advocating for veterans' welfare. When he passed away in 2017 at age 98, he was accorded a state funeral, leaving behind a legacy as the father figure of the Indian Air Force.
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