Ido Nehoshtan

Aluf Ido Nehoshtan, also Nehushtan (עידו נחושתן; born 1957) is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and former Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force. He is also 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, until was replaced by Amir Eshel on May 10, 2012.

Military career
The son of Ya'akov Nehoshtan, Nehoshtan joined the Israel Defense Forces in 1975 and served as a fighter pilot after graduating from the training 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 pilot school, 253rd Squadron deputy commander (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 consent of the then-Defense Minister Amir Peretz, due to a request by then-Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to keep him in service. 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.

In April 2012, he was awarded the Legion of Merit by US Air Force Commander Gen. Norton Schwartz during a ceremony in Washington. Nehushtan 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.