In a touching gesture, the Indian Air Force tonight announced that its vital airbase at Panagarh in West Bengal will be named after Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh.

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha made the announcement at a function here tonight to mark the eve of Arjan Singh's 97th birthday which was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag and several retired chiefs.

The base at Panagarh will be now called Air Force Station Arjan Singh, IAF officials said. It's a departure from the past as the IAF does not name its bases after individuals.

A squadron of the IAF's special operations planes the C-130J will be based at Panagarh and will be tasked to operate in tandem with the Army's Mountain Strike Corps.

The infrastructure for basing the C-130J's is ready and will be formally inaugurated in the first week of May. Its runaway has been re-carpeted.