By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Leaders of the largest United States aerospace and defense companies are united in their effort to comply with the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for U.S. workers and await further government guidance, their industry group said in a statement seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Raytheon Technologies, the major U.S. defense contractor, ordered its 125,000 employees to get vaccinated last week. This was after President Joe Biden’s policies that required employers of more than 100 workers to inoculate or test them weekly.

The Aerospace Industries Association’s board, chaired by Northrop Grumman (NYSE:)’s chief Kathy Warden, includes the CEOs of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:) Co, Leidos Holdings (NYSE:) Inc, General Dynamics Corp (NYSE:) and Raytheon (NYSE:) Technologies.

In a statement that was seen by Reuters, Eric Fanning, president of the association, stated, “America’s defense and aerospace industry is united as we prepare for the implementation of the new federal vaccination requirement. We also work with our government partners to develop detailed guidance.”

Fanning stated that members of the AIA have provided increased benefits to their constituents and taken extensive steps to stop the spread COVID-19. “Our essential work has not stopped,” Fanning added.

A Pentagon spokesperson said that the U.S. Defense Department spent over $13 billion in order to help contractors who suffered a drop-off in revenues due to the pandemic.