Arjan Singh is the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank.
Highlights
- Arjan Singh admitted to hospital this morning, his condition critical
- Arjan Singh is famous for his role in the 1965 India-Pakistan war
- He is the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank
Arjan Singh, Marshal of Indian Air Force and the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank, has been hospitalised. He was admitted to the Army's Research and Referral hospital this morning after he suffered a cardiac arrest, the defence ministry said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited him, said his condition is critical.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IAF chief BS Dhanoa also paid a visit to the hospital in the national capital.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the hospital and enquired about his health
An icon of the Indian military history, Arjan Singh had led a young air force into the 1965 Indo-Pak war when he was hardly 44-year-old.
As Pakistan had launched its Operation Grand Slam with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir, Arjan Singh led the Indian Air Force through the war with courage, determination and professional skill.
He inspired the IAF, despite the constraints imposed on a full-scale use of air force combat power.
(with inputs from PTI)