They envisioned employing a fleet of drones with a two kilogram payload capacity and a six mile flight-range.

CNN: Road to nowhere: Could drones be the highways of the future?

The B-2, with its intercontinental range, stealth and large payload capacity, gives the U.S. considerable ability to act unilaterally and to forge coalitions.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center for Security Policy | SUMMARY OF THE CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY��S SECOND HIGH-LEVEL ROUNDTABLE ON THE FUTURE OF THE MANNED BOMBER FORCE

These modifications will enable the vehicle to better optimize its payload capacity for heavier, more lucrative satellite customers - and also to offer a broader range of orbits to those clients.

BBC: Ariane rocket ready to do battle

The H2A is somewhat disadvantaged by its relatively small payload capacity of 4 tons compared with 8 tons for Ariane 5, 6.4 tons for the Pronton, 8.2 tons for the Atlas 5, and 4.7 tons for the Falcon.

FORBES: Japan's Commercial Launch Industry Needs a "Cost Killer"