NEW YORK CITY, New York: A fast-growing drone manufacturer partly owned by President Donald Trump's two eldest sons is seeking Pentagon contracts, placing it among dozens of companies competing to supply armed drones to the U.S. military.

The company, Powerus, has rapidly expanded in recent months by acquiring rival firms and raising new funding as it positions itself to compete for defense spending aimed at boosting domestic drone production.

Powerus hopes to win some of the US$1.1 billion the Pentagon has allocated to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base for armed drones, following the Trump administration's ban on imports of such systems from China.

The company's connection to the president's family has drawn criticism from ethics experts who say it raises concerns about conflicts of interest as firms with political ties pursue federal contracts.

"It's corruption," said Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. "Government decision makers will feel pressure to use contract awards to enrich the president's family."

The venture comes as the Trump family has expanded its investments beyond real estate into sectors including cryptocurrency and companies seeking government contracts.

Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich rejected concerns about conflicts of interest related to the Trump family's involvement. "There's no conflict there. Whatever they're doing is what they're doing," Velicovich said, referring to the president's sons. "Our focus at the company has nothing to do with politics."

Asked about potential conflicts, the Trump Organization provided a statement from Eric Trump in defense of the investment. "I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future."

Rapid Expansion

Founded roughly a year ago by veterans of U.S. Army Special Operations forces, Powerus initially focused on drones for commercial uses such as agricultural spraying and firefighting.

The company is now moving aggressively into defense technology as demand for armed drones rises. Conflicts around the world, including the war in Ukraine and drone attacks by Iran, have highlighted the growing role of unmanned systems in modern warfare.

Powerus has acquired three rival companies in the past six months and plans additional purchases as it expands its capabilities.

To fund that expansion, the company recently raised $60 million from investors. It also plans to go public through a reverse merger, a process in which a private company gains a stock market listing by merging with an existing publicly traded firm that has limited operations.

In this case, the public company is Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Florida-based firm partly owned by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., that operates several golf courses and trades on the Nasdaq.

Trump Family Business Ties

Donald Trump Jr. has been particularly active in companies seeking government contracts through his involvement with venture capital firm 1789 Capital.

Shortly after Trump's reelection, 1789 Capital named him a partner and accelerated its investment activity. The firm invested in 25 companies within a year after making only six investments during the previous two years, according to data from research firm PitchBook.

Many of those companies are pursuing federal contracts or taxpayer funding, or have already received them.

Trump Jr. and his brother have also launched an investment firm to buy stakes in companies tied to efforts to expand U.S. manufacturing.

After The Associated Press asked about regulatory filings indicating the firm would target companies seeking federal grants, Trump's chief business lawyer submitted an amended filing removing that language.

Velicovich said Powerus selected Aureus Greenway as its merger partner without considering its ties to the Trump family.

"Our focus is 100 percent on getting the right technology in the hands of the warfighter," he said, "regardless of who the investors are."