Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the strong military ties between the US and Israel will not change, should the US opt to sell F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates. "We will continue to support the longstanding US policy to maintain Israel's security," he said.

Boeing, GE Aviation and the US Army are working together to test the feasibility of incorporating GE's T408 engine into the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Honeywell is also developing an engine upgrade.

The Pentagon is working to speed up the process for the acquisition and development of cutting edge technologies such as artificial intelligence. "We're now in tech space that's moving very quickly, in a matter of a year or two years, and yet we have requirements processes that take two years to develop," said Alan Shaffer, deputy under secretary of defense acquisition and sustainment.

Pratt & Whitney and GE Aviation are planning production rates of more than 90 engines per year for the Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle fighter jet to be flown by the US Air Force.

Boeing's ultraviolet sanitizing wand for commercial aircraft is going into production under a licensing agreement with Healthe Inc. The deal is part of Boeing's Confident Travel Initiative.

Matternet and Japan Airlines have signed an agreement to explore the potential of drone-based deliveries of medical supplies.

The Space Force plans to create a new Space Systems Command to organize and execute space acquisitions across government space programs. "We want to make sure that there's alignment across programs," Col. Dennis Bythewood said.

Blue Origin is developing a strategy for building space stations, targeting NASA and other government agencies as early customers. "To develop Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space, humanity will require places for them to live and work: space destination systems in which value-creating economic activity can occur," a recent job posting says.

A House-passed continuing resolution to fund the US government, including the Department of Defense is in the Senate with one week left in the current budget year. The legislation includes an extension for contractors to receive reimbursements for costs related to the coronavirus pandemic.

CEOs from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue joined with labor leaders in a joint media event at the Capitol to plead for an extension of the Payroll Support Program in order to avoid involuntary furloughs and service reductions on Oct. 1. "It'd be a very, very horrific event I think if that happens, given all the support," American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said. United CEO Scott Kirby emphasized the need to protect jobs to enable economic recovery, saying: "We need to do more to keep those professionals employed and to keep their support for the economy intact because it's not just about the tens of thousands of people whose jobs are at risk. That's important, but it's also about the indirect jobs that all of them support." JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes reiterated the call for Congress to take meaningful action.