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US company Powerus to deliver anti-drone systems to Middle East — Bloomberg
Florida-based startup Powerus has opened its first Middle East facility in the UAE to assemble low-cost Guardian drone interceptors, producing about 30 per day. The company plans to scale global output to 15,000 interceptors monthly by 2027, following a wave of Iranian drone and missile attacks on the Emirates.
A small warehouse in the United Arab Emirates has become the center of a major expansion by Powerus, a Florida-based startup that manufactures low-cost drone interceptors. Workers at the facility, which opened last month, put in shifts as long as 12 hours snapping together 3D-printed parts to build interceptors capable of bringing down Iranian drones traveling at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. The factory is Powerus's first in the Middle East and, according to a report from The New York Times, part of a broader push to turn the company into a global weapons supplier.
Low-cost interceptors, ambitious scaling
The UAE workforce is mostly Filipino and Chinese and assembles about 30 interceptors daily. Powerus is ramping up the facility's output with a goal of reaching 100 interceptors a day. Overall, factories connected to Powerus currently produce about 3,000 drone interceptors every month, and the company plans to scale up to 15,000 units a month by the middle of 2027.
The interceptor is called the Guardian and costs around $5,000 each. It is based on a Ukrainian model that proved effective in intercepting Russian Shahed drones. The Guardian uses widely available microchips and GPS modules, and its parts are designed to snap together like building blocks, enabling rapid assembly.
Powerus's expansion strategy focuses on partnering with local manufacturers rather than building new factories in the United States. The company's Emirati manufacturing partner received training, parts, and software from Powerus to start producing the interceptors. The approach is designed to speed delivery to regions in need, particularly given urgent requests from allied nations.
The Iran war's impact on drone defense
The war with Iran, which began in February, has accelerated this shift. The UAE had already been considering ways to build more weapons domestically, but the conflict made that need immediate. In terms of threats, more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,200 drones have hit targets in the Emirates since the war started. At least 15 people have died, and hundreds have been injured. The attacks also shut down an oil refinery and destroyed two Amazon data centers.
The Guardian interceptor cannot intercept ballistic missiles, unlike Lockheed Martin's PAC-3, which costs millions of dollars. High-end PAC-3 interceptors have been used in the Emirates to destroy Iranian Shahed drones valued at around $40,000 each. Lockheed Martin announced in July that it would begin producing a cheaper interceptor in Europe alongside that partners, expected to cost around $2 million and not until 2028.
Powerus's business moves and contracts
Powerus announced a commercial contract to protect oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East. Reports citing company statements put the value at $22 million or $22.3 million. The contract was signed with an energy company in the Persian Gulf, but Powerus declined to identify the company or country, citing security concerns, and did not disclose the specific locations to be protected. Under the contract, Powerus will provide detection and tracking equipment that will eventually work with its Guardian interceptors.
In the broader push, Powerus also partnered with a defense company near Mumbai to begin producing interceptors in India. The company's expansion has been facilitated by the Trump administration, which is pushing weapons suppliers to speed up delivery timelines.
The company has also attracted attention due to political connections. Powerus announced a merger involving a publicly traded golf course operator in a deal brokered by an investment firm linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served as a senior White House adviser to President Donald Trump, joined Powerus's advisory board. In June, Unusual Machines, a drone component maker with Donald Trump Jr. on its advisory board, invested USD 30 million in Powerus.
Perspectives
Michael Sinensky, co-founder and executive vice president of marketing at Powerus, commented on the company's strategy, emphasizing the urgency of the war-driven push. Brett Velicovich, co-founder and COO, said the contract reflects the direction the counter-drone market is heading toward integrated, networked protection of critical oil and gas infrastructure.
Albert Vidal, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the primary goal of constructing interceptors in the UAE is to establish sovereign capability. He added that the UAE reaction is to continue buying as much as it can from the US, also buy from other players, and produce stuff at home.
Looking ahead
The UAE factory is operating, and Powerus's global expansion is underway. By mid-2027, if the company meets its targets, it will be producing 15,000 interceptors a month. The effectiveness of these low-cost interceptors against the drone threat remains to be observed. The Trump administration's push for faster deliveries suggests that the demand for such weapons is not limited to the Middle East — the US Air Force has already signed a contract worth up to USD 90 million for Powerus interceptors. Whether this approach reshapes the counter-drone market remains to be seen.
How this outlet told it
Times Now
Framing: Headline frames Powerus as a cheap-drone interceptor producer set up for 'the Iran War,' emphasizing the war context and the novelty of the company's approach. — Informative and slightly promotional; emphasizes the scale of production and the strategic rationale. Example: 'The war with Iran... made that decision urgent.'
Facts Included:
Powerus is a Florida-based start-up manufacturing low-cost drone interceptors in a UAE factory.
The UAE facility opened last month and produces about 30 interceptors daily with a mostly Filipino and Chinese workforce.
Powerus plans to scale global production to 15,000 interceptors a month by 2027.
Current production is about 3,000 interceptors per month.
The interceptor is called the Guardian and costs about $5,000.
Guardian is based on a Ukrainian model effective against Russian Shahed drones.
More than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,200 drones have hit targets in the Emirates since the war began in February; at least 15 people died, an oil refinery was shut down, and two Amazon data centers were destroyed.
The Guardian cannot intercept ballistic missiles, unlike Lockheed Martin's PAC-3.
Powerus announced a $22 million contract to protect oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East.
The Emirati factory workforce is mostly Filipino and Chinese, assembling about 30 interceptors daily.
Lockheed Martin plans to produce a cheaper interceptor in Europe costing about $2 million, with testing not expected until 2028.
Michael Sinensky is co-founder and executive vice president of marketing at Powerus.
The Trump administration is pushing weapons suppliers to speed up delivery timelines.
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Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimPowerus is a Florida-based start-up manufacturing low-cost drone interceptors in a UAE factory.
ClaimPowerus's website describes the Guardian as having a top burst speed of 340 kph, a 160 kph cruise speed, a range of 15 kilometers, 28 minutes of operational endurance, and hundreds of confirmed interceptions.
ClaimBrett Velicovich, Powerus co-founder and COO, said the $22.3 million commercial contract reflects the direction the counter-drone market is heading toward integrated, networked protection of critical oil and gas infrastructure.
ClaimPowerus announced a merger involving a publicly traded golf course operator in a deal brokered by an investment firm linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
ClaimKeith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served as a senior White House adviser to President Donald Trump, joined Powerus's advisory board.
ClaimHigh-end PAC-3 interceptors costing millions of dollars have been used in the Emirates to destroy Iranian Shahed drones valued at around USD 40,000 each.
ClaimPowerus declined to identify the company or country for the $22.3 million contract, citing security concerns, and did not disclose the specific locations that will be protected.
ClaimUnder the contract, Powerus will provide detection and tracking equipment that will detect and track incoming drones and eventually work with Powerus' Guardian interceptors.