Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari will unveil the air force’s new ensign at the 91st IAF Day celebrations at Prayagraj on Sunday, IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe said on Saturday.

The IAF crest will now feature on the top right corner of the ensign, which currently displays the national flag in the upper left canton and IAF tri-colour roundel in the lower right, he said. The current ensign was adopted more than seven decades ago, replacing the Royal Indian Air Force ensign that featured the Union Jack and the RIAF roundel (red, white and blue).

The IAF crest consists of the Ashoka lion on the top, with the Himalayan eagle with its wings spread below it, denoting the fighting qualities of the air force. A light blue ring encircles the eagle with Bhartiya Vayu Sena written on it in Hindi. The IAF’s motto, Nabh Sparsham Deeptam (Touch the Sky with Glory), is inscribed below the eagle in golden Devanagari.

The new ensign was created to better reflect the values of the IAF, Moghe added.

It comes a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Indian Navy’s ensign at the commissioning ceremony of aircraft carrier Vikrant, with the flag drawing inspiration from the seal of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Cross of St George being dropped.

The IAF’s MiG-21 fighter jets will take part in the IAF Day flypast over Sangam in Prayagraj for the last time this year. The flypast will feature 120 aircraft, including the IAF’s newest C-295 transport plane. The air display will include Rafales, Sukhoi-30s, Mirage-2000s, MiG-29s, Jaguars, LCA Tejas, C-17s, C-130Js, IL-76s, AN-32s, Chinooks, Apaches and Hawks.

The IAF held its annual celebrations in Chandigarh last year, in line with the three services now organising their flagship ceremonial events outside the national capital. The parade was traditionally held at the Hindan air base on the outskirts of the national capital.