Original sentence: Though giant, lumbering, and somewhat outdated ("a prop bomber in the age of jet fighters"), the B-36's role as the United States' sole practical nuclear deterrent earned it the nickname Peacemaker in the opening years of the Cold War.Though it was never tested in combat, the Strategic Air Command defended its performance on the grounds that the few fighters that could reach the normal operating altitude of the B-36 were so lacking in maneuverability that the giant bomber could easily evade them.While it received all its publicity in connection to its role as a strategic nuclear bomber, the B-36 also performed a number of highly valuable and rarely acknowledged reconnaissance missions
Edited sentence: It was never tested in combat, however, and it is impossible to say how well it would have fared.The Strategic Air Command maintained that the few fighters that could reach the normal operating altitude of the B-36 were so lacking in maneuverability that the giant bomber could easily evade them.Though giant, lumbering, and somewhat outdated (a prop bomber in the age of jet fighters), the B-36 was the linchpin of the United States' nuclear deterrent until faster jet bombers with comparable range were introduced.While it received all its publicity in connection to its role as a strategic nuclear bomber, it also engaged in rarely acknowledged reconnaissance missions.Without the B-36, the Strategic Air Command would have lacked a feasible nuclear deterrent, potentially placing the United States at the mercy of the Soviet Union