US Firm Confirms Deal Amid Warming Ties With Pakistan’s Military
Powerus, a US-based drone manufacturer, has confirmed a new agreement with the Pakistan Army. The Powerus Pakistan Army MoU includes an initial order tied to drone technology, according to company co-founder Brett Velicovich.
Velicovich shared the news with Reuters on Wednesday from Islamabad. He did not go into specifics about the hardware involved, but he confirmed the order sits within the unmanned aerial systems category. Neither he nor the company disclosed a dollar figure.
A Deal That Had Stayed Under Wraps
Nobody outside the two organizations knew this was coming. The MoU and the accompanying order had not surfaced in any prior reporting, which makes Wednesday’s confirmation the first public acknowledgment that Powerus and Pakistan’s military had reached this stage of cooperation.
Pakistan’s military did confirm part of the story on its own. A statement released the same day noted that a Powerus delegation, led by Velicovich, had sat down with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. Their conversation reportedly touched on defense procurement, local production, and building longer-term capacity within Pakistan’s defense sector.
One detail stood out by its absence: the military’s own statement never mentioned the MoU itself. That gap leaves some open questions about how each side is choosing to frame the relationship publicly, even as both confirm the meeting happened.
Background: Why This Deal Is Happening Now
Ties between Washington and Islamabad spent years running cold. That has shifted lately. President Donald Trump has spoken favorably about Munir on several occasions, and Pakistan has been rolling out economic, financial, and defense initiatives specifically aimed at strengthening its relationship with the United States.
The Powerus deal lands squarely inside that broader shift. It is not the only sign of closer defense cooperation between the two countries, but it is one of the more concrete ones to surface so far, since it involves an actual order rather than just talks.
What Velicovich and Fox Are Saying
Velicovich was careful with his words when pressed for details. Asked directly what technology the agreement covers, he pointed to security sensitivities as the reason he’d keep things vague, though he was willing to confirm the category: unmanned aerial systems.
He described the company’s longer-term ambition in a single line: “The goal would be a joint technology relationship, pairing best-in-breed technology from the U.S. with best-in-breed technology from Pakistan.” That comment suggests Powerus isn’t just looking to sell hardware into Pakistan but to eventually build alongside Pakistani partners.
Andrew Fox, the company’s CEO, weighed in with his own read on the local market. He described Pakistan’s private defense sector as still finding its footing, which he framed as an opening rather than a drawback, arguing that companies willing to move now have room to establish themselves before the space matures further.
Impact: What This Means Regionally and for the US Defense Industry
A deal like this carries weight beyond the dollar value of the initial order. It signals that a US private drone company sees enough opportunity in Pakistan to formalize a relationship with the country’s army, at a moment when defense procurement decisions carry political as well as military significance.
For Pakistan, deepening its drone supply relationships with a US firm, rather than relying solely on other partners, fits into the pattern of diversification the country has been pursuing. For Powerus, landing a military client in South Asia adds to its footprint just as the company is preparing for a corporate merger that will put it under a public listing.
That merger detail matters here too. Powerus is expected to combine with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a company connected to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump through an associated investment fund. Fox addressed the obvious question directly, stating that Powerus contracts are awarded on merit and that the Trump sons play no role in how the company runs its business. A representative for Trump Jr. echoed that, saying he had no hand in negotiating, procuring, or executing the Pakistan agreement.
Conclusion: What Comes Next
The immediate order is confirmed, but the bigger picture is still forming. Velicovich has floated the idea of Powerus eventually manufacturing technology inside Pakistan itself, which would represent a meaningfully deeper commitment than a one-off order.
Whether that materializes will likely depend on how the broader US-Pakistan defense relationship develops over the coming months, along with how Powerus’s pending merger plays out. For now, the confirmed MoU and initial order stand as the clearest evidence yet that this partnership has moved from conversation to contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Powerus, and what drone technology does it provide to the Pakistan Army?
Powerus is a US-based company that manufactures aerial and maritime drones for both military and industrial customers. In this specific deal, the company has confirmed that its agreement with the Pakistan Army falls under the unmanned aerial systems category, though it has not released technical specifications, citing security sensitivities. Co-founder Brett Velicovich has said the initial order covers what he described as “power systems” connected to that broader category, without elaborating on the exact equipment or capabilities involved.
What does the MoU between Powerus and the Pakistan Army involve?
The memorandum of understanding formalizes a working relationship between Powerus and Pakistan’s military, and it came bundled with an initial order rather than standing as a standalone agreement. Beyond the drone order, the discussions between the Powerus delegation and Pakistan’s army leadership reportedly covered defense procurement processes, potential local production arrangements, and long-term capacity building within Pakistan’s defense industry. Pakistan’s military confirmed the meeting took place but stopped short of referencing the MoU in its own public statement.
Is the Trump family connected to this Powerus-Pakistan Army deal?
There is an indirect financial connection, though both sides have pushed back on the idea that it influenced this specific agreement. Powerus is expected to merge with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a company in which an investment fund linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump is set to hold a minority stake once the merger closes. Powerus CEO Andrew Fox has said the company’s contracts, including the Pakistan agreement, are awarded strictly on merit, and a spokesperson for Trump Jr. stated he had no involvement in negotiating or executing the deal.
