Powerus Signs $22.3M Counter-UAS Deal With Private Middle East Oil Firm

A Commercial Buyer Steps Up

Powerus, a U.S. autonomous systems developer, has secured a $22.3 million contract to supply networked counter-drone technology to a privately held oil and gas operator in the Middle East. The buyer is a business rather than a national government, a distinction the company's leadership describes as a notable departure from the usual government-to-government defense sales model.

What the Customer Gets

The phased rollout covers detection, tracking, classification and early-warning functions, all feeding into a single operational picture inside the customer's control center. Powerus is also providing personnel with combat experience to help operate the equipment. The design leaves room to add the company's Guardian interceptor later, enabling active engagement of hostile drones rather than passive monitoring alone.

Manufacturing and Export Rules

Production takes place at Powerus's North Carolina site, where U.S. export regulations apply and certain components require government clearance before shipment. The company is simultaneously building international capacity, including a facility in the United Arab Emirates that assembles 3D-printed interceptor parts. Output is projected to climb from about 3,000 interceptors per month to 15,000 by the middle of next year.

Why It Matters

Powerus executives contend the agreement signals a wider trend in which data centers, warehouses and hotels face growing drone threats, prompting private owners to invest in their own protective systems. The company points to its battlefield experience in Ukraine and the Guardian's origins in a Ukrainian interceptor design as advantages in an increasingly competitive defense drone marketplace.