The Pakistani Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with US drone firm Powerus on 16 September 2026, granting Islamabad reportedly access to Ukraine-linked drone technology — a development that has triggered serious concerns among regional security analysts and neighbouring countries. The deal marks a notable signal of revival in US-Pakistan defence cooperation, even as Washington has officially ceased direct weapons supplies to Islamabad.

Key Details of the Powerus Agreement

The MoU was signed with Field Marshal Asim Munir representing the Pakistani side, according to reports. Brett Velicovich, co-founder of Powerus, confirmed that the agreement includes an initial order for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The deal was first reported by PJ Media, citing Velicovich directly.

Notably, this is not Pakistan's only recent agreement with US-linked financial and technology interests. According to PJ Media, Pakistan also signed a separate MoU earlier this year with SC Financial Technologies, an affiliate of World Liberty Financial (WLFI) — the primary crypto business associated with the Trump family.

Why the Deal Has Raised Alarm

Although the United States has halted fresh weapons deliveries to Pakistan, it has continued to approve modernisation packages for previously delivered F-16 fighter jets. The Powerus MoU, analysts argue, expands that grey zone further by potentially broadening Pakistan's autonomous drone capability.

The concern is compounded by Pakistan's record on counter-terrorism. Multiple international intelligence and security experts have, over the years, held Pakistan's military establishment and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) accountable for allegedly using regional terror groups as geopolitical proxies. Proscribed organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its reported splinter group, the Resistance Front (TRF), have been found operating from Pakistani soil, according to security assessments.

The deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir — which deliberately targeted civilians on religious lines, according to investigators — has further sharpened scrutiny of Islamabad's internal security posture.

Geopolitical Backdrop

The drone deal comes roughly a year after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called, at the Arab-Islamic Summit in Qatar, for the 'creation of an Arab Islamic task force to adopt effective measures toward Israeli expansionist designs' — remarks that underscored Islamabad's positioning within a complex and shifting regional diplomatic landscape.

This context has made regional players especially watchful. For decades, critics argue, Pakistan has remained a difficult security partner — its military leveraging certain militant networks for strategic purposes while seeking advanced military hardware from the West.

What Comes Next

The Powerus deal has yet to attract an official response from New Delhi or Washington. Security analysts tracking South Asian stability are monitoring whether the initial UAV order will be followed by larger tranches, and whether the US government formally sanctions the arrangement or treats it as a private commercial transaction. The outcome could shape how other regional actors — particularly India — recalibrate their own drone and counter-drone procurement strategies in the months ahead.