Drone Company Backed By Trump’s Sons Signs Weapons Deal With U.S. Air Force, Raising Ethics Concerns
Powerus, a drone company backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has signed a weapons deal with the U.S. Air Force.
According to Bloomberg, the Air Force agreed to buy an undisclosed number of interceptor drones from Powerus last week, deepening the military’s ties to defense contractors linked to the First Family as the United States’ war with Iran enters its third month. The drone company also refused to describe the terms of the deal or the size of the contract.
Powerus, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, plans to sell the drones to the Pentagon after a demonstration at a facility in Arizona, Brett Velicovich, the company’s co-founder and president, reported.
Velicovich said the U.S. has beaten its competitors in developing low-cost drones.
He noted that interceptor drones of the kind Powerus sold to the Air Force could save taxpayer funds and adapt to threats faster.
“As a country, we’re behind,” Velicovich stated in an interview. “We’re finally taking the steps to fix that.”
However, the company’s ties to Trump Jr. and Eric might provoke scrutiny of the deal.
In response to condemnation of their business partnerships in President Donald Trump‘s second term, his sons have frequently stated that they are private businessmen.
Velicovich rejected this criticism, saying that Powerus amazed the Air Force with its technology.
“They’re not going to pick a system because of who’s on an investor list,” the drone company’s co-founder and president declared. “They’re picking because they need it now.”
Instead of pursuing an initial public offering, Powerus is hoping to merge with Aureus Greenway Holdings Inc., a golf-course operator supported by the Trumps, which already has a Nasdaq listing, according to an announcement made earlier this year.
In November 2025, the drone manufacturer Unusual Machines, which is partially owned by Trump Jr., was granted a massive contract to supply parts to the Pentagon.
Unusual Machines announced that the U.S. Army had contracted it to manufacture 3,500 drone motors, along with other components.
The Pentagon indicated that it would order an additional 20,000 components in 2026.