Emirates 24/7 — Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are planning to invest in Powerus, a drone startup aiming to capitalize on surging demand from the Pentagon amid tightening U.S. restrictions on Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
According to the Wall Street Journal, the West Palm Beach-based company intends to manufacture drones by acquiring advanced Ukrainian combat technology, specifically adapted and marketed for the U.S. military. Powerus is currently executing a reverse merger with a publicly traded holding company—which holds golf course assets and enjoys Trump family backing—a deal expected to lead to a Nasdaq listing in the coming months.
In a company statement, Powerus highlighted the conflict in the Middle East as evidence of the project's strategic viability. The firm noted two primary catalysts driving the sector's expansion: the push for U.S. domestic manufacturing to decouple from long-standing Chinese dominance and the Pentagon’s escalating reliance on drones as the "weaponry of the future" in recent military operations.
Industry experts cited by the Journal anticipate a massive boom in drone technology over the coming years, pointing to the transformative impact these low-cost systems have had on the power dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Founded last year, Powerus was established as part of a broader strategy to consolidate and advance drone capabilities. The company is strategically leveraging geopolitical shifts and U.S. import bans on Chinese technology to position itself as a key player in meeting the growing needs of the American defense establishment.