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Avihu Ben-Nun (; born 24 December 1939) is a retired Israeli general who was the 11th commander of the Israeli Air Force between 1987 and 1992.
In March 1969 Ben-Nun was one of the first airmen assigned to fly the F-4 Phantom II. In September 1969 he became commander of 69 Squadron, which he commanded throughout the War of Attrition. In the course of the war, Ben-Nun led the Phantom contingent that participated in operation Rimon 20 and shot down a Russian MiG-21 operating from Egypt. On September 9, 1972, a month after handing command of 69 Squadron to Amnon Arad, Ben-Nun and navigator Zvi Kesler shot down a Syrian Sukhoi Su-7.Aloni and Avidror 2010, p. 125 During the Yom Kippur War Ben-Nun was in charge of the Air Force's offensive operations command, yet flew eight operational sorties with his former squadron.Aloni and Avidror 2010, p. 151
In 1975 Ben-Nun was put in charge of Tactical Operations in the Israeli Air Force's Headquarters. Between 1977 and 1982 he commanded Hatzor Airbase and Tel Nof Airbase. In 1982 Ben-Nun headed the Operations Department of the Israeli Air Force. In 1983 he was put in charge of building operations within the IAF. In 1985 headed the IDF's Planning Directorate, and was promoted to the rank of Aluf. In September 1987 he became Commander of the Israeli Air Force, replacing Amos Lapidot.
Under his aegis the IAF begun operating the AH-64 Apache and took delivery of additional F-16 Fighting Falcons. At the same time, the IAF carried out 500 operations against terrorist groups based in Lebanon. In 1992 Ben-Nun handed command of the Israeli Air Force over to Herzl Bodinger, resigning from the IDF.
In 1995 Ben-Nun was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
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