Geopolitics makes for strange bedfellows, but defense procurement usually follows an even weirder rulebook. Pakistan just signed a strategic memorandum of understanding and an initial procurement order with Powerus, an American autonomous systems startup.
If the name sounds unfamiliar, the backing certainly doesn't. Powerus is merging with a Nasdaq-listed entity tied directly to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump through their investment fund, American Ventures. Even wilder? Months before Islamabad inked this deal, the exact same US firm signed an exclusive manufacturing and licensing pact with Mumbai-based Paras Defence to sell its counter-drone tech in India.
You read that right. Islamabad and New Delhi are now tethered to the exact same American defense supplier.
Breaking the Beijing Habit
For decades, Pakistan's military supply chain has relied heavily on Beijing. In fact, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data indicates that China accounts for roughly 80 percent of Pakistan's defense imports. Islamabad has long depended on Chinese hardware because Washington historically refused to export advanced unmanned aerial systems to the country, fearing technology leakage or regional escalation.
That dynamic is shifting. Pakistan's military leadership, spearheaded by Army Chief General Asim Munir, has spent months actively courting Washington. Following diplomatic efforts and strategic positioning, Islamabad has managed to crack open a door that was shut for generations.
Brett Velicovich, Powerus co-founder and a former US Army Special Forces intelligence veteran, pointed out the obvious shift. For years, Washington sat back while China supplied whatever Pakistan asked for, creating an unhealthy dependency. Now, Washington is waking up to the idea of sharing Western autonomous systems to peel Islamabad away from total reliance on Beijing.
The Trump Family Connection
You can't talk about Powerus without addressing the political elephant in the room. The startup, founded in 2025 by military veterans Andrew Fox and Velicovich, is riding a massive wave of defense tech interest. Its upcoming merger with Aureus Greenway Holdings ties its financial trajectory directly to the Trump family brand.
Critics will look at this and scream crony capitalism. Supporters will call it smart commercial diplomacy.
General Munir has played his cards well. Beyond the initial drone-related technology order, Islamabad has engaged the Trump inner circle across multiple sectors, including discussions around critical minerals and digital assets. Aligning with a firm backed by the president's sons isn't just about hardware; it's a calculated political hedge to buy direct influence in Washington.
The India Overlap
Here is where regional watchers are scratching their heads. Powerus didn't just land in South Asia via Pakistan. In June, the company locked down an intellectual property licensing agreement with India's Paras Defence and Space Technologies. That deal gave Paras exclusive rights to manufacture and market the Guardian-1 high-speed counter-drone interceptor system within the Indian domestic market.
India has been desperate to beef up its anti-drone infrastructure, especially after dealing with cross-border aerial threats during recent skirmishes. Now, the same American company providing foundational tech to India's defense ecosystem is simultaneously setting up joint manufacturing frameworks and supplying hardware to Pakistan.
Having competing nuclear-armed neighbors buy into the same American supply chain creates a bizarre overlap in modern defense logistics. It strips away the luxury of exclusive tech partnerships.
What Happens Next
Don't expect this single MoU to magically rewrite South Asian security dynamics overnight. Pakistan is still deeply integrated with Chinese defense systems, and India remains heavily tied to Russian and domestic hardware development.
However, the psychological barrier has broken. Pakistan's leadership has shown it's willing to pivot toward Western private defense markets—even those carrying explicit political baggage in Washington. As autonomous warfare shifts the balance of power, expect both Islamabad and New Delhi to keep shopping at the same American storefronts, regardless of how awkward it gets in the briefing rooms.
