On September 16, a delegation from Powerus, a year-old United States drone company backed by two sons of President Donald Trump, was received by Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at military headquarters in Rawalpindi.
asserted
delegation → back → Rawalpindi
A day later, the company announced it had received a “limited procurement order” from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence for unmanned aerial systems.
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it → announce → systems
It also said it had signed a separate memorandum of understanding (MoU) with senior Pakistani defence officials.
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it → say → officials
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Neither the value of the order nor the systems involved have been disclosed.
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value → share → order
But for analysts studying Pakistan’s venture in drone technology, even bigger concerns have arisen from information that has since emerged.
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that → study → information
Less than three months earlier, the same company had given an Indian defence manufacturer the exclusive right to make and sell its drone interceptor technology in India.
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company → give → India
Pakistan does not recognise Israel and accuses it of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
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Pakistan → recognise → Gaza
Analysts are questioning why a country that already builds its own drones and buys others from China and Turkiye would turn to a company that was founded only last year – and has links to Israel and sells drones to India too.
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that → question → India
“Pakistan technically already makes or is capable of making each of the drones shown by Powerus,” Bilal Khan, founder of the Quwa Group, a Toronto-based defence news and market intelligence platform, told Al Jazeera.
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Khan → make → Jazeera
“It’s unclear where Powerus fits in the long term [from Pakistan’s perspective].”
uncertain
Powerus → ’ → perspective
What did Pakistan sign?
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Pakistan → sign → What
In its statement on the meeting, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said the two sides discussed cooperation in defence procurement, production and capacity building.
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sides → say → procurement
The statement did not mention the MoU.
But Powerus told Al Jazeera which institutions were involved.
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institutions → mention → Jazeera
“The MoU was signed with the Pakistan army.
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MoU → sign → army
The related procurement order was placed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence,” a company spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → place → Defence
In its own statement, Powerus said the memorandum was not a definitive agreement, created no purchase obligation and would be subject to US laws and government approvals.
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memorandum → say → laws
“We are proud to support Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence, and the memorandum gives both sides a strategic framework to build upon,” Brett Velicovich, the company’s cofounder, said in the statement.
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Velicovich → support → statement
According to media reports, Velicovich has also said the company is exploring ways to build technology in Pakistan.
uncertain
company → accord → Pakistan
The ISPR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.
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ISPR → respond → comment
Founded in 2025 and based in Florida, Powerus is set to merge with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company that owns golf courses in the US state, in a deal expected to close in the final quarter of this year.
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that → found → year
Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, President Trump’s oldest sons, are investors in Powerus through a vehicle called American Ventures, which is expected to hold a 9.9 percent beneficial stake in the combined company, according to media reports citing US regulatory filings.
uncertain
which → call → filings
A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr has told media outlets that he is a passive investor with no role in the company’s operations or contracts and had no prior knowledge of the Pakistan deals.
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he → tell → deals
The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest.
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House → say → interest
The company makes about 3,000 interceptor drones a month, according to media reports, and last month won a US Air Force contract with a ceiling of up to $90m.
Asked how it addresses conflict of interest questions while pursuing government defence work in the US and abroad, Powerus said the Trump brothers played no part in its operations.
uncertain
brothers → make → operations
“Trump’s sons are not advisers to Powerus and have no involvement in how the company runs its business or structures its defence relationships, domestically or internationally.
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company → have → relationships
They hold no corporate-governance role.
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They → hold → role
Our government relationships are pursued on their own merits,” the company told Al Jazeera.
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company → pursue → Jazeera
It was in India, Pakistan’s archrival, with which Pakistan fought a brief but intense conflict in May last year, one in which drones were used by both sides.
uncertain
drones → fight → sides
In a June 30 filing to India’s stock exchanges, Paras Defence and Space Technologies said Powerus had granted it an exclusive licence to manufacture and sell its Guardian-1 interceptor technology in India.
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Powerus → say → India
Mansoor Ahmed, an honorary lecturer at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, said Washington has long armed rival states.
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Washington → say → states
“The US has previously sold F-16s to Greece and Turkiye and Egypt and Israel and is now selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia, which Israel already operates,” he told Al Jazeera.
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he → sell → Jazeera
A former Pakistani government defence analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity said Pakistani planners had probably known about the Indian deal.
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planners → speak → deal
“Pakistan’s defence planners were likely aware of Powerus’s engagement with India,” he told Al Jazeera.
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he → tell → Jazeera
This isn’t the first time that Pakistan and India have ended up buying military equipment from the same company, the defence analyst pointed out.
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analyst → end → company
He cited the build-up to the conflict over the Siachen Glacier, where India launched Operation Meghdoot in April 1984 to take control of the heights.
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India → cite → heights
“In 1983, Pakistan ordered high-altitude warfare gear from a London supplier, unaware that the same firm also provided gear to the Indian army, and subsequently, India learnt of it and planned Operation Meghdoot in 1984,” he said.
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he → order → 1984
The analyst said the burden now lies with the company.
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burden → say → company
“In the present case, the challenge is more for Powerus than Pakistan or India as Powerus’s management must ensure it can manage and meet the requirements of two adversaries without jeopardising either side’s operational security.”
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it → ensure → security
A retired Pakistan air force air marshal who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly said the arrangement carries risks for Pakistan.
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arrangement → speak → Pakistan
“Two adversary countries procuring from the same source has its pitfalls, especially when one of the adversaries has taken the lead as well as has a larger financial capacity,” he told Al Jazeera.
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he → procure → Jazeera
…and 51 more, not listed.
The Aporia
