Ido Nehoshtan
| Ido Nehoshtan | |
|---|---|
| עידו נחושתן | |
| 200px | |
| Commander of the Israeli Air Force | |
| In office 4 April 2008 – 10 May 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | Ehud Olmert Benjamin Netanyahu |
| IDF Chief | Gabi Ashkenazi Benny Gantz |
| Preceded by | Eliezer Shkedi |
| Succeeded by | Amir Eshel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1957 (age 66–67) |
| Awards | Legion of Merit |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Service/branch |  Israeli Air Force |
| Years of service | 1975–2012 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands | 140 Squadron Air Intelligence Group IAF Chief of Staff Planning Directorate Israeli Air Force |
| Battles/wars | 1982 Lebanon War 2006 Lebanon War 2008-2009 Gaza War |
Aluf Ido Nehoshtan, also Nehushtan (Hebrew: עידו נחושתן; born 1957) is a retired general in the Israel Defense Forces. He replaced Eliezer Shkedi on 4 April 2008 as Air Force Commander until he himself was replaced by Amir Eshel on 10 May 2012 upon his retirement from 37 years of service.
Military career
The son of Ya'akov Nehoshtan, Nehoshtan was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1975 and served as a fighter pilot after graduating from the pilots course in 1977. Until 1978, he flew an A-4 Skyhawk, and was then re-trained for the F-4 Phantom in the No. 107 Squadron.
During his career, Nehoshtan served as an instructor at the pilot school, then as the 253 Squadron deputy commander (ranked major) and commander of the No. 140 Squadron (ranked lieutenant colonel), among others.
In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and commanded the Air Intelligence Group, 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 consent 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, approved Nehoshtan's appointment to command the Air Force as a major general. On April 4, 2008, he was replaced by Amir Eshel as the Planning Directorate head upon becoming Air Force Commander. Eshel himself succeeded Nehoshtan in the same position 4 years later.
In April 2012, he was awarded the Legion of Merit by US Air Force Commander Gen. Norton Schwartz during a ceremony in Washington. Nehoshtan also met with US pilots who have flown on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and flew himself in the aircraft's simulator, as well as on the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that the IAF has considered to acquire as a complementary platform for search and rescue and covert operations behind enemy lines.[2]
