Pentagon awards weapons contract to Trump-linked drone firm

The US Air Force has signed a weapons procurement deal with a company backed by the sons of Donald Trump namely Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, raising conflict-of-interest concerns in the country’s political circels.

According to a Bloomberg report, the company, Powerus, will supply interceptor drones, though the number of drones and the contract value have not been publicly disclosed.

Powerus co-founder and president Brett Velicovich confirmed the deal to Bloomberg, noting that the company will deliver the drones following a successful demonstration at a facility in Arizona.

This marks one of the first direct weapons sales to the U.S. military for the firm, signaling its entry into the Pentagon supply chain.

The deal comes as the Pentagon is rapidly expanding spending on drones and autonomous systems, especially lower-cost, AI-enabled platforms.

The Trump family has been building a sizable portfolio in drone and defense tech, with multiple investments aimed at capturing U.S. military contracts.

The administration has promoted such deals as part of a broader $1.1 billion effort to build a domestic U.S. manufacturing base for armed drones, replacing foreign-sourced equipment.

Trump used presidency to pocket $1.4 billion in first year back in office: Report

A new report says Trump has made at least $1.4 billion in personal profit during his first year back in office.

The involvement of a sitting president’s family in defense contracting raises conflict-of-interest concerns often debated in U.S. politics.

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have reportedly positioned the firm to fill gaps in the U.S. supply chain following the administration's bans on Chinese-made drone technology.

Ethics experts and critics have raised concerns that the President’s family is directly profiting from the war on Iran that their father’s administration has launched.

In related news from the same week, Eric Trump also publicly celebrated a separate $24 million defense contract won by Foundation Industries, another technology firm where he serves as a chief strategic adviser, which focuses on AI-driven humanoid robots for military use.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir