Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence announced a limited procurement order for unmanned aerial systems from Powerus, a year-old American drone manufacturer, following a meeting between a company delegation and Pakistan’s military leadership on September 16. The company also signed a memorandum of understanding with senior Pakistani defence officials, though neither the monetary value nor specific systems involved were disclosed. Pakistan’s military media office stated the two sides discussed defence procurement, production and capacity building.
The arrangement has drawn scrutiny from defence analysts due to Powerus’s other business relationships. Less than three months before the Pakistan announcement, the company granted an Indian defence manufacturer exclusive licensing rights to produce and sell its Guardian-1 interceptor drone technology in India. One of Powerus’s cofounders is identified as an Israeli military veteran. Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has criticized Israeli military actions in Gaza. Defence analysts have questioned the strategic rationale for Pakistan to purchase from a newly established company when it already manufactures its own drones and sources equipment from China and Turkey.
Powerus was founded in 2025 and is based in Florida. The company is preparing to merge with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company, with the transaction expected to complete in the final quarter of this year. Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump hold a 9.9 percent beneficial stake through an investment vehicle called American Ventures. A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr stated he is a passive investor without operational involvement or prior knowledge of Pakistan transactions. The White House indicated no conflicts of interest exist.
Defence experts noted that selling military equipment to rival nations is not unprecedented in international defence markets. However, analysts raised concerns about operational security risks when competing countries procure from the same source, particularly given India’s larger financial capacity and its recent military engagement with Pakistan. A former Pakistani defence official stated that Powerus faces the primary challenge of managing relationships with two adversarial nations without compromising either country’s security interests.
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