Startup linked to Trump sons wants to produce Ukrainian drone technology in the US
American defense startup Powerus plans to attract drone technologies developed in Ukraine and set up their production in the US for deliveries to the Pentagon. The company is already in talks with Ukrainian manufacturers and considers expanding its lineup with long-range attack drones.
Reuters reports this citing Powerus leadership. The company wants to become an American partner for foreign developers capable of localizing combat-proven technologies in the US.
Powerus President and former US Army Special Operations intelligence officer Brett Velicovich said the company is in talks with Ukrainian defense enterprises. Among the directions it is interested in, he separately named long-range attack drones.
According to Velicovich, Powerus hopes to become a kind of "single window" for the Pentagon: receive promising technologies outside the US, adapt them to American requirements, and produce them domestically.
Ukrainian developments are already used by the company. In March, Powerus unveiled the Guardian interceptor drones, which, according to Velicovich, were the result of joint development with the Ukrainian side. Earlier the company also licensed technology proven in Ukraine for production of its own systems.
Powerus was created only in 2025, but it is rapidly expanding its business amid a sharp increase in demand for low-cost unmanned systems. The company deals with aerial and maritime drones, counter-UAV interception assets, and autonomous platforms. On its website it positions Guardian as a high-speed interceptor for countering attack drones.
Particular attention to the company is linked to its investors. Powerus is preparing to merge with Nasdaq-listed Aureus Greenway Holdings, which previously managed golf courses in Florida. Upon completion of the deal, the combined entity will be named Powerus Corporation. Documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission confirm the merger agreement.
Aureus is linked to the investment fund American Ventures, in which Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump participate. According to Reuters, after the deal the fund should receive about 9.9% beneficial ownership in the combined company. Representatives of the brothers and Powerus leadership emphasize that they act as passive investors and do not participate in the operational management of the startup.
Powerus has already started receiving large orders. The company reported a US Air Force contract vehicle worth up to $90 million, as well as a commercial deal of $22.3 million for protecting energy infrastructure in the Middle East. In September, it also received a limited order from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence for unmanned aviation systems and related support.
The growing US interest in Ukrainian technologies occurs amid a large-scale expansion of purchases of cheap drones and means to counter them. Russia’s war against Ukraine demonstrated to the Pentagon the importance of rapid drone iteration and mass production of relatively inexpensive autonomous systems.
