Tomer Bar (Hebrew: תומר בר; born 1969) is an Israeli general currently commanding the Israeli Air Force. Before his selection to succeed Amikam Norkin as commander of the IAF, Bar served as head of the IDF Force Design Directorate, a reorganized version of what was once the Planning Directorate.[1]
Biography
Bar was born in 1969, one of six children of Erela and Natan Bar. He enlisted in the IDF in 1987 and completed pilot course with honors in 1989.[2]
He served as a F-16 fighter pilot with the 110, 116 and 140 Squadrons. After a period of study in the United States, he was assigned as an F-15 pilot with the 133 Squadron in 1998.[3]
From 1999 to 2002, he served as head of the Operations Branch at the Air Force Headquarters. In 2005, Bar was appointed commander of the
69 Squadron, which was equipped with the F-15I, and commanded the squadron during the Second Lebanon War.
During his tenure, the squadron have undertaken Operation Orchard, the destruction of a Syrian nuclear site on September 6, 2007. During his service, he served as head of the Air Force's Operations Department for three years, including during Operation Cast Lead.
In 2010, he was appointed commander of the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy, and served in that position until 2012.[3]
In February 2012, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and appointed commander of the Tel Nof Airbase, where he took part in the training of UAV operators and commanded the base during Operation Pillar of Cloud. On October 17, 2017, he was appointed chief of staff of the Air Force, and served in that position until October 22, 2019, including during the February 2018 Israel–Syria incident. On June 18, 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Major General, and was appointed Head of the IDF Force Design Directorate on June 21.[4][5]
In September 2021, he was announced as the next appointee of commander of the IAF and on April 4, 2022, Bar was appointed commander of the IAF, replacing Major General Amikam Norkin.[6][7]
Throughout 2023, he faced the challenge of Air Force reservist pilots refusing to serve in protest as part of their involvement in the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests. In July 2023, in response to attacks by right-wing politicians and activists against the IDF during the protests, he stated that "the harsh statements said against the IDF and the Air Force, both mandatory service and reserves in recent days, there is no place in our society for such statements, and they are desecrating and are causing great damage to the cohesion of our forces." In October 3, 2023, Bar issued an ultimatum to pilots protesting judicial reform who were refusing to serve that they return to service by October 17 or risk being removed from the Air Force.[8][9]
On October 7, 2023, militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli soldiers and civilians. The Air Force, under his Bar's command, took part in operations to contain the terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the attack. It also carried out intensive strikes in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon during the Israel-Hamas War and played a significant role in countering the Iranian strikes against Israel in April 2024. Throughout the war, he also flew several combat sorties.[10]
Awards and decorations
Tomer Bar was awarded three campaign ribbons for his service during three conflicts.
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