Nothing underscores human ingenuity better than a giant finely tuned machines. Think bulldozers and rocket ships.

Most of us will never get a chance to captain either of those glorious “rigs.”

But nothing can stop us from investing in them!

If you haven’t noticed, Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) are each sitting near all-time highs.

So which company is more worthy of our investment dollars?

Integral to Our Nation’s Defense

If there is one military need that the United States requires above all else, it’s missile defense.

Obama — like previous Democratic administrations — neglected and underfunded this initiative. They claimed that the “Star Wars” missile defense concept was a fantasy of President Reagan that couldn’t work.

However, the recent activities of “Little Rocket Man” Kim Jong Un of North Korea, along with the rapid surge toward a nuclear capability in Iran, make missile defense in the U.S. a crucial No. 1 priority.

Otherwise, we may face the consequences in a few years when we’ll be saying “Hasta la vista, Los Angeles.”

Sure enough, the 2018 U.S. defense budget has included an additional $20 billion beyond 2017 spending in this area.

And Northrop Grumman Corp. has the most to gain from the budget expansion. The company is a leader in both offensive and defensive missile technology.

It was largely responsible for a successful U.S. missile defense test in May when the Pentagon shot down a mock intercontinental ballistic missile using a long-range interceptor missile.

So the company stands to benefit greatly as that system is beefed up in the coming months.

Northrop Grumman has also received a preliminary contract to design and test a replacement for the entire U.S. Minuteman missile fleet.

The company has grown earnings in each of the last five years and that growth is projected to continue.