&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US drone firm linked to Trump’s sons signs MoU with Pakistan army, gets initial order")
US drone firm Powerus has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistan Army that includes an initial drone-related order, revealed the company’s co-founder and president Brett Velicovich. Powerus signed a memorandum of understanding with Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s de facto leader, on Wednesday, the company’s co-founders said.
“Today we signed a very important MOU. As part of that MOU, we received an initial order for power systems,” Velicovich said in Islamabad. Velicovich declined to provide further details, citing security sensitivities, but said the deal fell within the category of unmanned aerial systems, reported Reuters. He also refused to disclose the value of the order, citing confidentiality.
Also Read: US Treasury rallies global financial institutions for Op Economic Outcast to isolate Iran
Powerus to merge with firm backed by Donald Jr and Eric
Powerus, which offers aerial and maritime drones for military and industrial use, is due to merge with a publicly traded company backed by two of US President Donald Trump’s sons, called Aureus Greenway Holdings. Both companies have said they expect the merger to complete in early October.
According to US regulatory filings, Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, own a stake in Aureus through an investment fund called American Ventures, which is expected to hold a 9.9% beneficial ownership stake in the combined company after the merger.
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Pakistan’s military said a Powerus delegation led by Velicovich met Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and they discussed defence procurement, production and long-term capacity building. The military’s statement did not mention the MoU signing.
Munir wooing Trump and his inner circle with various deals
The agreement comes after years of strained relations between Washington and Islamabad.
Trump has publicly praised Pakistan army chief Munir, while Islamabad has pursued a series of economic, financial and defence initiatives aimed at strengthening relations with the United States.
Munir, Pakistan’s most powerful military leader in decades, has wooed Trump and his inner circle with various deals in areas such as cryptocurrencies and critical minerals.
In January, Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with an affiliate of Trump-backed cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, which was co-founded by Zach Witkoff, the son of US special envoy and Trump’s close adviser Steve Witkoff.
‘Pak’s private defence sector emerging but still not mature’
Powerus founder and chief executive Andrew Fox said that Pakistan’s private defence sector remains “emerging but still not mature,” leaving room for US firms to move faster.
“The goal would be a joint technology relationship, pairing best-in-breed technology from the US with best-in-breed technology from Pakistan,” Velicovich said, adding that Powerus was exploring ways to potentially build technology in Pakistan.
Fox dismissed suggestions that the company's growth was linked to the involvement of Trump’s sons, saying contracts were awarded on merit and that they had “no involvement on the business side” of the company.
White House Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said, “There are no conflicts of interest.”
‘Seeing a sort of awakening of US policy’
Velicovich, a former US Army Special Forces intelligence officer who served in Afghanistan, said, “I think, for many decades, the US government has been opposed to providing [drone] systems to countries like Pakistan while China has blanketly provided whatever the people here want.”
“But now we are seeing a sort of awakening of US policy, even outside of Pakistan, to share more of our drone systems.”
China accounts for roughly 80 per cent of Pakistan’s defence imports by volume, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. As per SIPRI data, Pakistan is the world’s fifth-largest buyer of major arms.
Pakistan is eager to beef up its air defences after a brief but fierce conflict with India last year, in which New Delhi launched armed drones deep into cities like Lahore and Rawalpindi.
