Who Is Brett Velicovich? Co-founder and President of Powerus
Brett Velicovich is Co-founder and President of Powerus, according to a USA Today press release.
At Drones & Defense, we track the founders, executives and program leaders behind the aerial drones, uncrewed ground vehicles and uncrewed maritime vessels we research. Who runs a drone company or a military drone program shapes its contracts, production and strategy.
Velicovich is a former U.S. Army intelligence operator, according to The Drone Girl. Firstpost describes him as a former US Army Special Forces intelligence officer who served in Afghanistan.
Where Brett Velicovich Is Now
Velicovich is Co-founder and President of Powerus, according to a USA Today press release. He told The Drone Girl that Powerus headquarters moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina after its merger closed on October 1.
- Current role: Co-founder and President
- Organization: Powerus
- Known for: Former U.S. Army intelligence operator and Powerus co-founder
- Recent news: Discussed Powerus's $82 million counter-UAS order and interceptors aimed at jet-powered Shahed drones
Career
Velicovich is a former U.S. Army intelligence operator, according to The Drone Girl. Firstpost describes him as a former US Army Special Forces intelligence officer who served in Afghanistan.
He is a co-founder of Powerus, according to The Drone Girl, and holds the title Co-founder and President, according to a USA Today press release. He told Defense One that he spends a lot of time in Ukraine.
Recent News
Velicovich has discussed several recent Powerus developments in interviews and reports.
- April: Velicovich told The Drone Girl that Powerus placed an order of more than $5 million with Unusual Machines in April for core components.
- September 16: Velicovich confirmed to Reuters that Powerus signed an MoU with the Pakistan Army that included an initial order, according to Firstpost. Firstpost also reports he led a Powerus delegation that met Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
- October 1: Velicovich told The Drone Girl that Powerus headquarters moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina after its merger closed on October 1.
- Counter-UAS order: Velicovich said Powerus's $82 million counter-UAS order came under an existing U.S. government IDIQ contract and was the second order under it, according to The Drone Girl.
- Interceptors: Velicovich told Defense One that jet-powered Shahed drones are the next threat Powerus aims to counter, and that Powerus is looking at interceptors capable of flying 600 to 700 kilometers per hour.
What Brett Velicovich Leads and Stands For
Velicovich said that whoever owns the supply chain will own the drone sector, and he identified batteries as the next pain point for domestic drone production, according to The Drone Girl. He argued that drones have traditionally been acquired as equipment rather than as expendable ammunition.
He said every Powerus airframe runs the same guidance, ground station and operator pipeline, and that frontline operators need drones they can take out of the box, understand quickly and integrate into the mission, per The Drone Girl.
Velicovich told Defense One that Guardian 3 removes the manual operator from the terminal phase and can be built in the thousands, and that interceptors should be built at massive scale like artillery rounds.
On Pakistan, Velicovich said the goal would be a joint technology relationship pairing US and Pakistani technology, according to Firstpost. He said the US government had for decades opposed providing drone systems to countries like Pakistan, and that he sees an awakening of US policy toward sharing more drone systems.
Brett Velicovich FAQs
Who is Brett Velicovich?
Brett Velicovich is Co-founder and President of Powerus and a former U.S. Army intelligence operator, according to USA Today and The Drone Girl.
What is Brett Velicovich's military background?
He is a former U.S. Army intelligence operator, per The Drone Girl. Firstpost describes him as a former US Army Special Forces intelligence officer who served in Afghanistan.
Where is Powerus headquartered?
Velicovich said Powerus headquarters moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina after its merger closed on October 1, according to The Drone Girl.
What did Velicovich say about Powerus's counter-UAS order?
He said Powerus's $82 million counter-UAS order came under an existing U.S. government IDIQ contract and was the second order under it, per The Drone Girl.
What threat does Powerus aim to counter next?
Velicovich told Defense One that jet-powered Shahed drones are the next threat Powerus aims to counter, and that Powerus is looking at interceptors capable of flying 600 to 700 kilometers per hour.
What is Powerus's connection to Pakistan?
Velicovich confirmed to Reuters on September 16 that Powerus signed an MoU with the Pakistan Army that included an initial order, and he led a Powerus delegation that met Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, according to Firstpost.
What does Velicovich say about the drone supply chain?
He said that whoever owns the supply chain will own the drone sector, and he identified batteries as the next pain point for domestic drone production, per The Drone Girl.