Израиль армиясының әуе күштерінің бас штабы – Дан Халуц

Israeli Air Force general

Dan Halutz (, ; born August 7, 1948) is an Israeli Air Force lieutenant general and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and commander of the Israeli Air Force. Halutz served as chief of staff in 2005–2007.

Halutz was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and grew up on moshav Hagor. His parents are both Mizrahi Jewish, and they were born in Iran and in Iraq. Halutz holds a degree in economics from Tel Aviv University, and a Harvard Business School degree.

Halutz joined the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in 1966 and graduated from combat flight school in 1968. In 1969, he joined the first F 4 Phantom squadron of the IAF. During the War of Attrition, Halutz carried out 40 operational flights. After the war, he left the IDF in order to study, but returned to active duty when the Yom Kippur War started, in 1973. During the war, Halutz flew over 43 operational flights, shooting down three enemy planes in dogfights. In 1978, he left the IDF again and served as a reserve pilot for four years. He returned to active service in 1982, when he was also trained to pilot the new F 16 jet fighter. In 1984, he commanded a Phantom squadron. In 1986, he was appointed to head the IAI Lavi jet project. After the project was canceled due to American pressure, Halutz was appointed as commander of Hatzor airbase in 1991. In 1993, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as head of air group. In 1995, he was appointed as the head of air force headquarters. In 1998, he was promoted to major general and in 1999, he was appointed as the head of the Operations Wing in the IDF General Staff. In 2000, Halutz was appointed commander of the Israeli Air Force. Serving in this position, Halutz implemented changes that earned him the appreciation and respect of his officers and pilots. During Halutz's term, Israel purchased F 15E and F 16 fighter jets, capable of strategic bombing in all weather conditions. Halutz also expanded the usage of UAV drones to various missions as an effective tool of scouting and reconnaissance. He led the IAF during the Al Aqsa Intifada, during which he was recognized by experts and subordinates as an innovative and a charismatic leader. During his term, the IAF took part in several 'targeted killing' operations of Palestinian militant leaders. Halutz's main reforms in the Air Force were the tightening of cooperation with the ground forces and the Shin Bet, the massive employment of UAV drones, the upgrading of precision strike capabilities in helicopter gunships and jets and the sharp decrease of accidents and aerial failures. During Halutz's time, only a small number of accidents occurred, none of them lethal. Moreover, he held a record of a straight 2.5 years with a clean slate of no accidents at all. In 2004, he was appointed deputy chief of staff. On February 23, 2005, Israeli defence minister Shaul Mofaz announced that Halutz would be the next IDF chief of staff. On June 1, 2005, Halutz was officially appointed the eighteenth chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and was awarded the rank of Rav Aluf (lieutenant general). It is the second time in the history of the Israel Defense Forces that a former IAF commander became the head of the entire military. General Chaim Laskov was the first. On January 17, 2007, Halutz resigned from office, following a critical report from former chief of staff Dan Shomron. Halutz stated that he made the decision "based on deep rooted values, those of strong ethics, loyalty to the organization and integrity." "I served the army responsibly for over four decades, and this responsibility continued in the last few months. It is this responsibility that led me to announce my resignation."

Talking about Hezbollah rocket fire on Israeli civilians, Halutz said on July 23, 2006:"There will always be some terrorist to fire a missile. But I believe we'll be able to push them north and reduce the accuracy of their fire. The other side must reach the conclusion that the price it pays for continuing the [rocket] fire is intolerable." On July 24, 2006, it was reported that IDF Radio had broadcast details of orders issued by Halutz: "Army chief of staff Dan Halutz has given the order to the air force to destroy 10 multi storey buildings in the Haret Hreik ("Dahiya") district (of Beirut) in response to every rocket fired on Haifa," a senior air force officer told army radio on Monday [July 24]. The report was condemned on July 24 by the Israeli group Association for Civil Rights in Israel who wrote to Israeli Defense Minister Peretz and Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz to criticise the orders: "Striking civilians and civilian infrastructure and using intentional means of intimidation and terrorizing civilian populations is forbidden by international humanitarian law, and could be war crimes." The group also condemned the "grave and illegal" attacks carried out on the Israeli civilian population by Hezbollah.

On August 15, 2006, it was revealed that Halutz sold off his investment portfolio three hours after two Israeli soldiers were captured by Hezbollah during the Zar'it Shtula incident, leading to the war. While this action on the part of the chief of staff is technically legal and is only restricted (through blind trusteeship) from cabinet members, the State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss has called to expand it to the chief of staff and to other senior officials. Several Knesset members called for Halutz to offer his resignation and some members of the General Staff Forum commented that his resignation appeared inevitable. On August 17, Halutz rejected resigning over the affair, adding that the motives behind its publication are "wicked and tendentious. I do not know who is behind this. I do not intend to be dragged to such levels, questioning my integrity." Halutz admitted selling about $28,000 worth of his stocks within three hours of Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers—the action that sparked the conflict. In a news conference in Tel Aviv, Halutz said the stock sale was unrelated to the outbreak of war and criticized the disclosure of his personal financial information. On August 30, a Bank Leumi probe announced that the source of the leak did not come from its bank.