Indian Air Force Chief VR Chaudhari on Sunday will unveil the new IAF ensign on the occasion of Air Force Day to better reflect the values of the force. This reaffirmation will now be reflected by the inclusion of the Air Force Crest in the top right corner of the ensign, towards the fly side.

Giving details here on Saturday, officials said the IAF Crest has the national symbol, the Ashoka lion on the top with the words “Satyamev  Jayate” in Devanagari below it.

Below the Ashoka lion is a Himalayan eagle with its wings spread, denoting the fighting qualities of the IAF.

The motto of the IAF “Nabha Sparsham Deeptam” is inscribed below the Himalayan eagle in golden Devanagari.

The IAF motto has been taken from verse 24, chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita, and means “Radiant Thou Touchest Heaven” or in other words “Touching the sky with Glory”.

Going back in history, the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) ensign, as the force was then known during British rule, comprised the Union Jack in the upper left canton and the RIAF roundel (Red, White and Blue) on the fly side.

Post-Independence, the Indian Air Force ensign was created by replacing the Union Jack with the Indian tri-colour and the RAF roundels with the IAF tri-colour roundel in the lower right canton, they said.

A new lAF ensign has now been created to better reflect the values of the Indian Air Force. This reaffirmation will now be reflected by the inclusion of the Air Force Crest in the top right corner of the Ensign, towards the fly side.

The Indian Navy last year switched to a new ensign at the launch of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. One of the design elements honours Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha kingdom who had a naval fleet.