Herzl Bodinger

Herzl Bodinger

Maj. Gen. Herzl Bodinger
Born 1943
Allegiance Israel Israel
Service/branch  Israeli Air Force
Years of service 1961–1996
Rank Aluf

Aluf (ret.) Herzl Bodinger (Hebrew: הרצל בודינגר; born 1943) is a retired general in the Israel Defense Forces and a former Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force. Today, Bodinger is member of the International Board of Governors of Ariel University.[1]

Military career

Bodinger was born in Israel and joined the IDF in 1961. He volunteered to attend the flight academy and graduated as a fighter pilot, flying the Dassault Mystère and Sud Aviation Vautour. During the Six-day war Bodinger served as a Vautour pilot and participated in Operation Moked, attacking airfields in Iraq and Egypt and destroying 10 Tupolev Tu-16 bombers on the ground. During the Yom Kippur War he was a Mirage III pilot, and shot down a Syrian MiG-17. During post-war conflicts, he shot down a Syrian MiG-21 over Lebanon.[2]

Bodinger went on to command the Israeli Air Force from January 1992 to July 1996.[2] During his 35-year career, Bodinger accumulated about 6,000 flight hour and conducted 451 aerial sorties.[3]

Civilian career

Following his retirement from the air force, Bodinger was appointed to head the company RADA Electronic Industries.[2] In the 2000s, Bodinger headed a committee appointed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz to prepare a master plan for Israel's airports.[4]

References


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