The U.S. Air Force is developing a new bomber that promises to secure the United States' advantage in modern warfare in the coming decades. The next-generation long-range strike bomber, recently awarded to Northrop Grumman for development, will combine and fully exploit existing advanced stealth technology, integrated software, ordnance and countermeasures, effectively consolidating the best technology in one package. At the same time, the U.S. Air Force will aggregate all of its bombers under a single, unified command, clearing the way to make bombers a more central part of its operations. Thus the new long-range strike bomber is poised to become a central pillar of the United States' strategy to project its power throughout the globe....