Pakistan Army signs drone MOU, secures order from US firm linked to Trump sons

US drone and defence technology company Powerus has signed an MOU with the Pakistan Army and received an initial order for drones, co-founder Brett Velicovich told Reuters on Wednesday.

The company has not disclosed what equipment is covered by the order or how much it is worth. Velicovich said only that it falls under unmanned aerial systems, citing security sensitivities and confidentiality.

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The agreement comes as ties between Washington and Islamabad have warmed under US President Donald Trump's second term. Trump has publicly praised Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Powerus, which makes aerial and maritime drones for military and industrial applications, is also looking at ways to expand its presence in Pakistan.

Velicovich said Powerus was exploring the possibility of manufacturing technology in Pakistan. "The goal would be a joint technology relationship, pairing best-in-breed technology from the U.S. with best-in-breed technology from Pakistan," he was quoted as saying.

Pakistan's military separately said a Powerus delegation led by Velicovich met Munir on Wednesday. The discussions covered defence procurement, production and long-term capacity building.

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Trump Family Connection

Powerus is set to merge with publicly traded Aureus Greenway Holdings, which is backed by Trump's sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The two companies have said they expect the transaction to close in early October.

The Trump brothers hold their stake in Aureus through an investment fund called American Ventures. US regulatory filings show the fund is expected to have a 9.9% beneficial ownership stake in the combined company after the merger.

Powerus also has former Trump administration officials among its strategic advisers.

Andrew Fox, Powerus' founder and chief executive, rejected suggestions that the Trump family connection had helped the company win business. He said contracts were awarded on merit and that the Trump brothers had "no involvement on the business side" of Powerus.

Donald Trump Jr's spokesman said he was a passive investor with an indirect holding.

"Don has no involvement whatsoever in the management or operations of Powerus and plays absolutely no role in the procurement of contracts in the United States or abroad," the spokesman was quoted as saying. "He had no prior knowledge of this deal and had no involvement of any kind in its negotiation, procurement or execution."

Powerus' wholly owned subsidiaries, Kaizen Aerospace, Inc., Tandem Defense LLC, and Agile Autonomy LLC, provide specialized capabilities across heavy-lift unmanned aerial systems capable of 500lb+ payloads, tactical defense platforms, and maritime surveillance systems, according to the company's regulatory filing in March 2026.

Another Trump-Linked Deal

The Powerus agreement follows another business initiative between Pakistan and a Trump family-linked entity.

In January 2026, Pakistan signed an MOU with SC Financial Technologies LLC, an entity affiliated with World Liberty Financial, to explore digital payment infrastructure.

World Liberty Financial has close financial ties to the Trump family. Reuters has reported that DT Marks DeFi LLC, a Trump-linked entity, acquired control of about 60% of WLF's holding company around Trump's January 2025 inauguration. Eric Trump later joined its board.