Ido Nehoshtan

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Ido Nehoshtan
1957 –

Allegiance	Israel
Service/branch	Israeli Air Force
Years of service	1975 –
Rank	Aluf
Commands held	Israeli Air Force

Aluf Ido Nehoshtan (also Nehushtan) (born 1957) is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and the current Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force. He is the former head of the Planning Directorate. On April 4, 2008, he was replaced by Amir Eshel as the Planning Directorate head, and replaced Eliezer Shkedi in May as Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force.

[edit] Military career

Nehoshtan joined the Israel Defense Forces in 1975 and served as a fighter pilot after graduating from the lucrative course in 1977. Until 1978, he flew an A-4 Skyhawk, and was then re-trained for the F-4 Phantom in the 107th Squadron.

During his career, Nehoshtan served as an instructor in the school for pilots, the deputy commander of the 253rd Squadron (ranked major) and commander of the 140th Squadron (ranked lieutenant colonel), among others.

In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and commanded the Intelligence Squadron, from 2002 commanded the Air Squadron, and from 2004 headed the Air Force staff.

On June 8, 2006, he was moved to the command of the Planning Directorate with the permission of the then-Defense Minister Amir Peretz, due to a request by then-Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to keep him in service.^[1] On February 15, 2008, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, permitted Nehoshtan's appointment to command the air force.