US defense secretary in Israel as country gets F-35 jets
TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was visiting Israel as it prepared to receive on Monday the first two next-generation F-35 fighter jets that will help preserve the country’s military edge in the volatile Mideast.
The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, with an estimated cost of nearly $400 billion. Israel is among a small number of allies to get the plane, with the first expected later in the day.