The IAF officer who was seen prepping Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for his sortie on Rafale fighter jet is Group Captain Harkirat Singh. Harkirat Singh is the Commanding Officer of the newly resurrected 17th Squadron, which will be the first unit to operate the Rafale aircraft. He was awarded Shaurya Chakra in 2008 for safely landing a doomed MiG-21 Bison.