AEROSPACE

Air Force Awards B-2 Contract: The Air Force awarded Los Angeles-based Northrop Corp. nearly $1 billion to continue work on the controversial B-2 Stealth bomber, an aircraft at the center of a congressional battle over Pentagon spending. The money, part of a regular release of funding for the aircraft project, will be used for equipment and to ensure the Air Force has enough money to cover its liabilities to Northrop if Congress puts a stop to the bomber project. Pentagon officials stressed that the funds were part of ongoing planned work on the bat-wing aircraft and were not meant to push the project beyond current plans for 15 planes.