Brigadier General (Res.) Ran “Ranko” Kochav
Brigadier General (Res.) Ran Kochav (RanKo) served as the Commander of Israel's Air and Missiles Defense forces until 2022. Throughout his distinguished military career, General Kochav progressed through various leadership positions including Battery Commander, Unit Commander, Battalion Commander, and Air Defense Wing Commander. He also served as Head of the Doctrine and Training Department and Commander of the Israeli Air Defense's Advanced Academy. As a professional Air Defense warrior, General Kochav has been at the forefront of developing multi-layered air and missiles defense concepts and is recognized as an international expert in advanced air defense against various aerial threats, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and UAVs. During his tenure as Commander of Air Defense, General Kochav was responsible for combat doctrine and command of the entire national defense array. He built regional defense capabilities in partnership with the United States through CENTCOM and EUCOM, commanding joint operations for regional defense in the Middle East. His operational experience includes defending against ballistic missiles from Iran, Gaza Strip, Syria, and Lebanon, with thousands of successful interceptions during military operations and wars. His leadership was instrumental in establishing and implementing Israel's sophisticated multi-tier air and missiles defense systems. Currently, General Kochav is engaged in investigating and debriefing the "Iron Swords War" (October 2023) and analyzing lessons learned from this regional conflict. His extensive military background also includes service in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), where his strategic insights contributed to national defense planning. His expertise in developing integrated air defense systems and commanding complex operations has established him as a leading authority in modern warfare against aerial threats, making him an asset in both military and defense consultation capacities. General Kochav served briefly as a research fellow at RUSI (Royal Unites Institute Research) co-authored several professional papers with Dr. Siddharth Kaushal on the missile warfare between Russia and Ukraine and Israeli lessons that could be used to establish a multi-layered air and missiles defense system in Europe
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