In an address at Fort McNair on Tuesday with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Carter reiterated the Pentagon's longstanding, "iron clad" commitment to the so-called qualitative military edge of Israel, which he called "a cornerstone of our strategy in the Middle East," Defense News reported.
"Our defense relationship spans the entire spectrum from tunnels and terrorists right up through the high-end," Carter said, when asked about priorities for enhanced cooperation.
The next day, Carter would accompany Ya'alon to the US Naval Air Station at Patuxent River for a demonstration of the fifth-generation F-35. Israel will be the only nation in the region to receive the warplane.
"That's one of the reasons why we'll be with the F-35 [Wednesday]. We work on all of the techniques, tactics and procedures regarding high-end warfare, in this case warfare from the air, right down to tunnels," Carter said.
He noted that the subterranean threat became "painfully evident" during last summer's Gaza war, and that Washington intended to share some of its anti-tunnel techniques developed over decades in dealing with the threat from North Korea, Defense News reported.
Carter also commented on intelligence sharing, electronic warfare techniques and plans to enhance cooperation in the cybernetic realm.
He also pledged continued US funding for Israeli active defense programs against rockets and missiles, including Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow, Defense News reported.
"This is one of the most trusted relationships we have in the world and so when we discover something that is critical to both of us, we share it, and we do that from electronic warfare to cyber to all kinds of … tremendous intelligence sharing."
Carter noted that strategic cooperation works both ways, with Washington often gaining from bilateral ties, according to Defense News.
"The alliance is a two-way street, and we appreciate what we get as well as what we give, and it's an alliance that makes us stronger too."
The two sides are ramping up talks on Israel's enhanced security needs ahead of a Washington summit early next month between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
