A memorandum of understanding signed this week between US drone maker Powerus and the Pakistan Army has drawn attention because of the company’s pending merger with a firm in which President Donald Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, hold a stake.
Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich confirmed to Reuters that the agreement, signed in Islamabad on Wednesday, includes an initial order for unmanned aerial systems from the Pakistan Army, though he did not disclose the number of drones involved or the deal’s financial value, citing security sensitivities. Pakistan’s military said a Powerus delegation led by Velicovich met with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to discuss defence procurement and long-term capacity building, though its statement made no mention of the specific MoU or order.
The deal has drawn scrutiny because Powerus is due to merge with publicly traded Aureus Greenway Holdings in early October. US regulatory filings show that Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump hold 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 once the merger completes.
Powerus has firmly denied any link between the Trump family’s investment and the Pakistan agreement. A company spokesperson said the Trump sons play no role in Powerus’s day-to-day operations, and a representative for Trump Jr said he had no involvement in securing the Pakistan contract and was not informed of the deal in advance. The White House has also said it sees no conflict of interest in the arrangement. Company officials have separately framed their broader strategy as an effort to help the US catch up with Chinese and Russian drone manufacturers.
This is not the first time the Trump brothers’ involvement with Powerus has drawn attention. The company has also pursued sales of drone interceptor technology to Gulf states currently facing attacks linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict, a war launched by their father as commander-in-chief, a dynamic that has prompted ethics experts, including former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter, to question whether foreign governments may feel pressure to do business with firms tied to the president’s family.
