Dan Haloutz

(1948- )

Maj. General Dani Haloutz was assigned as Commander of the Israeli Air Force on April 4, 2000. The General was born in Tel Aviv, Israel on August 7, 1948. The General enlisted in the IDF on November 1966 as a cadet in the IAF flight school. In July 1968, he graduated as a fighter pilot with the rank of second lieutenant. Upon completion of operational training, the General was assigned to the "Mister 4" fighter squadron, then to the "Vutour" fighter squadron.

Beginning at the end of 1969, he joined the first Phantom squadron of the IAF. Halutz flew 40 operational flights during the War of Attrition.

In November 1969, he converted to an F-4 pilot, and he served in the same squadron until 1982, mostly as an active pilot and partially in the reserves. Released from the IDF in 1973, he began his academic studies, but returned to the Phantom squadron with the outbreak of the YYom Kippur War. In the course of some 43 operational flights he shot down three enemy aircraft.

In 1978 he was again released from the IDF and served as a pilot in the reserves for four years. He returned to active duty in 1982, when he started to fly F-16 planes. In 1984, he received the command of the Phantom squadron and in 1986 was chosen as head of the operational unit of the Lavi aircraft project. In 1988, the General was nominated as head of the Operational Requirements Department of the IAF, and from 1991-1993 he was a wing commander.

In 1991, Dan Halutz was appointed  commander of the Hazor Air Force Base. In 1993, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and appointed head of the IAF Air Division. In 1995, the General was appointed as the Head of Staff of the IAF. In August 1998, General Haloutz was promoted to Major General and assumed the position of assistant of the Deputy Chief of General Staff. In June 1999, after the reorganization of the General Staff, Maj. General Haloutz was nominated as the Director of Operations (J-3). He subsequently served as commander of the IAF from 2000 until 2004, when he was appointed to the position of deputy chief of General Staff.

On June 1, 2005, Dan Halutz was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General and appointed the 18th IDF chief of General Staff.

Halutz is a graduate of Tel Aviv University and received a B.A. in economics. He is married with three children.

Dates of Ranks

July 1968 Second Lieutenant

July 1969 Lieutenant

August 1972 Captain

September 1976 Major

May 1984 Lieutenant Colonel

August 1986 Colonel

August 1993 Brigadier General

August 1998 Major General.

June 2005 Lieutenant General