Targeting Pentagon needs, the Trump family bets on the drone race

The Trump family is expanding into the rapidly growing defense drone market. President Trump’s two sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are jointly supporting a new drone company called Powerus, which plans to go public via a reverse merger on NASDAQ to fulfill Pentagon procurement needs.

Powerus is completing a reverse merger with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a golf course holding company endorsed by the Trump family, and is expected to list on NASDAQ within a few months.

Investors involved in this deal include American Ventures, an investment vehicle affiliated with the Trump family; Unusual Machines, a drone component company with equity and advisory ties to Donald Trump Jr.; and Dominari Securities, an investment bank supported by the Trump family.

This deal marks the Trump family’s deep involvement in the multi-billion-dollar defense drone sector. The Pentagon recently launched the “Drone Dominance” plan, aiming to spend $1.1 billion by 2027 to procure hundreds of thousands of domestically produced drone systems.

Reverse mergers for listing and capital expansion are the main goals

Founded last year and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, Powerus positions itself as an integrated platform company in the drone industry. Over the past six months, it has acquired three small companies involved in aerial and maritime drones.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Powerus CEO Andrew Fox stated that the reverse merger to go public aims to raise funds for large-scale production and ongoing acquisitions.

He revealed that the company is working toward a target of producing over 10,000 drones per month—capacity that would surpass nearly all other U.S. drone manufacturers and far exceed the U.S. Department of Defense’s historical procurement scale.

Fox, a serial entrepreneur with nearly 30 years in building services in New York, claims he has no prior experience in the drone industry. He said Powerus has drones designed for wildfire suppression and payloads of up to 1,000 pounds. He straightforwardly stated that the drone market “will definitely grow much faster than golf courses.”

Acquiring Ukrainian technology, but overseas procurement is complex

Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich is a former U.S. Army special operations veteran who has advised drone companies in the U.S. and Ukraine and has been active in cable news commentary.

According to The Wall Street Journal, he revealed that Powerus is negotiating to acquire Ukrainian drone companies or license their technology, and to produce and rebrand drones domestically in the U.S., but declined to provide specific details.

Ukrainian drone manufacturers face significant export hurdles, and while the U.S. military seeks Ukrainian technology, it also has clear requirements for “Made in America” weapons systems, making direct overseas procurement operations quite complicated.

Highly fragmented market with policy opportunities to be tested

The U.S. drone market is currently highly fragmented, with many small companies competing for limited defense contracts, generally generating little revenue. Chinese brands have dominated the consumer and commercial drone sectors for over a decade, and the Trump administration’s ban on new Chinese drone models has opened a policy window for domestic manufacturers.

The Pentagon’s “Drone Dominance” plan was introduced in this context to promote domestic manufacturing expansion. However, Powerus’s target of producing 10,000 drones per month still falls significantly short of the Department of Defense’s historical procurement volumes. Whether the company can turn policy advantages into actual orders remains to be seen.

Risk Warning and Disclaimer

Market risks are present; investments should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not consider individual users’ specific investment goals, financial situations, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions herein are suitable for their particular circumstances. Invest at your own risk.