Pakistan signs deal with US firm Powerus to buy counter-drone equipment
Pakistan has signed a purchase agreement and a memorandum of cooperation with US company Powerus, which is active in the production of anti-drone aircraft.
Al Jazeera reported that the deal was reached after a delegation from Powerus met Asim Munir, the head of Pakistan’s army, at the military’s general headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The financial details of the contract and the exact type of equipment have not yet been made public. However, Powerus said the memorandum in itself does not create a binding commitment to buy, and its implementation depends on US laws and approval from the government of that country.
According to the company, its anti-drone aircraft are designed to counter hostile drones and are cheaper to use than air defence missiles.
Al Jazeera also reported that one controversial aspect of the cooperation is Powerus’s simultaneous ties with India and Pakistan. A few months before the agreement with Pakistan, the company granted an exclusive licence to an Indian defence company in India to produce and sell its anti-drone technology.
India and Pakistan also experienced a short but intense military confrontation last year, during which both sides used drones. Pakistan and India are two nuclear rivals in South Asia, where security tensions have repeatedly overshadowed regional defence cooperation.
