The Pentagon is looking for cheap commercial satellites that can maintain surveillance on other satellites in orbit, including close-range inspections.
Candidates for weaponry aboard the Saudi aircraft could be the MBDA Marte-ER anti-ship missile and MU-90 lightweight torpedo made by Leonardo-owned WASS.
“Otherwise people in Germany or Poland or whatever are going to say: ‘Why are we only sending money across the Atlantic?’” said the Pentagon policy chief.
The U.S. Army’s Global Response Force will begin assessing the Bumblebee V2 drone interceptor in March following a $5.2 million contract inked in January.
The 30,000-pound guided bomb is designed to penetrate an estimated 200 feet through rock or other hard substances before destroying enemy labs or bunkers.
An annual gathering of top international security figures that last year set the tone for a growing rift between the United States and Europe opens Friday.
The service said integrating third-party autonomous software is a major step on developing drones that can fly themselves alongside jets like the F-35.