News

Carter, Israeli Defense Minister Discuss Security Issues

June 20, 2016 , DOD News

During a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon today, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Israeli defense relationship, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Daniel “Tonto” Kitts, an F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter test pilot assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23, landed in the history books when he performed the first arrestment of an F-35C Lightning II with external weapons at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., Feb. 10, 2016. This week, Israel will be the first U.S. partner to receive the F-35. Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Kitts performs the first arrestment of an F-35C Lightning II with external weapons at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., Feb. 10, 2016. This week, Israel will be the first U.S. partner to receive the F-35. Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Daniel “Tonto” Kitts, an F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter test pilot assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23, landed in the history books when he performed the first arrestment of an F-35C Lightning II with external weapons at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., Feb. 10, 2016. This week, Israel will be the first U.S. partner to receive the F-35. Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann
First Arrestment of an F-35C with External Weapons
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Kitts performs the first arrestment of an F-35C Lightning II with external weapons at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., Feb. 10, 2016. This week, Israel will be the first U.S. partner to receive the F-35. Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann
Download Image
Image Details
Photo By: Dane Wiedmann
VIRIN: 160210-N-ZZ999-410

Carter also reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to Israel's security, the press secretary said.

The two leaders also discussed regional security challenges in the Middle East and areas of mutual defense cooperation, he said.

During Lieberman's visit to the United States, Cook said, he will also travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for a ceremony as the first F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft destined for Israel rolls off the production line.

Israel will be the first U.S. partner to receive the F-35, which will play a key role in maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge in the Middle East, the press secretary said.

SecDef Ash Carter israel F-35 Lightning II

Explore

The commanders of U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2022.
The climate crisis is a profoundly destabilizing force for the world, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said at the Leaders Summit on Climate.
The Defense Department has adopted and expanded a climate change tool designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to project the effects of climate change on almost 1,400 locations, according to a DOD official.
Navy Adm. Charles Richard, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, briefed the media at the Pentagon.
The Defense Department faces a growing climate crisis that impacts national security, and it must take ambitious and immediate action to ensure readiness and defend the nation, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks said.
The Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards recognize installations, teams and individuals for their accomplishments in innovative and cost-effective environmental management strategies that support mission readiness. 
The planet's changing climate has a significant effect on Defense Department missions, plans and installations. DOD is elevating climate change as a national security priority, integrating climate considerations into policies, strategies and partner engagements.
Impacts of climate change – rising sea levels, drought, increased wildfire intensity and storm severity, and others – affect people, equipment and property worldwide, and that means they affect the Defense Department.
Wildfires have impacted the Defense Department's ability to conduct training on West Coast installations in recent years, while hurricanes adversely affected East Coast installations. A DOD official discussed what the department is doing to address such threats.
The Climate Action Team, composed of planners, engineers, researchers and landscape architects, stood up in March to translate climate change-related policy directives to action and implementation.