The US Air Force is tinkering with an unusual design for its biggest planes as it prepares for a potential long-range war with China

• The Pentagon has awarded a contract for development a Blended Wing Body aircraft prototype.
• The design promises more fuel efficiency, larger payloads, and the ability to use shorter runways.
• The US Air Force sees all those qualities as vital for success in a war in the Pacific region.

The US Air Force has picked aviation startup firm JetZero to develop a full-size demonstrator aircraft with an unusual design that could transform how the service builds its tanker and cargo aircraft.

The investment in the Blended Wing Body reflects the Air Force's interest in aircraft that can carry larger payloads farther while using less fuel and a wider range of facilities, which the service says it will need to win a war with China in the Pacific.