The Boeing name has been synonymous with bombers for more than 70 years, with a long line of heavy-hitter designs that dates back to the Monomail-based B-9 of 1931.

The B-17, B-25 and B-29 were at the forefront of Allied bombing offensives in World War II and the B-50 in U.S. action in Korea, while the B-47 ushered in the jet bombers of the Cold War. Today, Boeing can lay claim to two of the three U.S. Air Force bomber designs—the much-venerated B-52 and the increasingly versatile B-1B—as well as a one-third share in the stealthy B-2.

In recent years, the bomber has staged a remarkable comeback with the U.S. Air Force. Once viewed as little more than a nuclear relic of the former Cold War, the bomber is once again front and center on the airpower stage, as a result of recent conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East and central Asia.

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When and with what does the U.S. Air Force replace its troika of legacy bomber types—the B-52, the B-1 and the B-2? It's the subject of increasing debate and scrutiny within Pentagon and congressional circles. To date, there have been more than 20 separate studies about what has been loosely termed long-range or global strike. However, there has yet to be agreement on a definitive solution or solutions.

The U.S. Air Force convened a "long-range strike summit" in December to bring direction to the process and formulate recommendations on how to proceed. The summit's findings will be released soon to an aerospace industry eager to bring focus to its own internal efforts.

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