The Air Force said the contract for the long-range bomber will be awarded soon and won't be stopped if Congress can't pass a budget, but questions arose about the cost of the plane. On Monday, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the bomber, which will replace decades-old B-52s, isn't a "new start" program since it officially began in fiscal 2012. That means it will be able to move forward even if Congress doesn't pass a budget. So far, the Air Force has spent $1.8 billion on research and development for the classified aircraft. Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) is facing... More