Pakistan Signs Drone Deal With Trump-Backed US Firm Also Selling Technology to India

Pakistan has signed a drone procurement agreement with Powerus, a US-based defence technology company backed by Donald Trump’s sons, despite the firm also having a separate business relationship with India.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence placed a limited procurement order for unmanned aerial systems with Powerus following a meeting between company representatives and Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Rawalpindi on September 16.

The value of the order and the specific drone systems involved have not been disclosed. Powerus also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistan Army covering defence procurement, production and capacity-building cooperation.

The deal has attracted attention because Powerus previously granted India’s Paras Defence and Space Technologies an exclusive licence to manufacture and sell its Guardian-1 drone-interceptor technology in India.

Pakistan and India are long-standing rivals and fought an intense military conflict in May 2025 in which drones were widely used.

The agreement has also raised questions because Powerus cofounder Ziv Marom is a former Israeli military serviceman. Pakistan does not recognise Israel and has strongly criticised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Powerus was founded in 2025 and is based in Florida. Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump are investors in the company through American Ventures, which is expected to hold a 9.9 percent beneficial stake in the combined company after a planned merger with Aureus Greenway Holdings.

The Trump brothers have said they have no role in Powerus’s operations or defence contracts. The company also said the two investors have no corporate-governance responsibilities.

Pakistan already operates drones from China, Turkiye and domestic manufacturers, including China’s Wing Loong II, Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci, and Pakistan’s locally developed Shahpar-II.

Defence analysts say Pakistan may be seeking advanced counter-drone technology, particularly relatively low-cost interceptor drones capable of destroying incoming unmanned aircraft without relying solely on expensive air-defence missiles.

Some analysts have also questioned why Pakistan would enter into a strategic arrangement with a company established only last year and with limited publicly known delivery experience.

Powerus said its memorandum with Pakistan does not constitute a final agreement, creates no purchase obligation and remains subject to US laws and government approvals.

Analysts say the significance of the deal will become clearer if Pakistan proceeds with further procurement agreements, local production or technology-transfer arrangements involving Powerus in the coming months.

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