“Piasecki Aircraft Acquires Kaman Air Vehicles’ KARGO UAV Program”
Piasecki Aircraft Corps announced this week, the acquisition of Kaman Air Vehicles’ KARGO UAV Program, expanding its portfolio of vertical lift and cargo craft, reports a press release.
The release explains, “KARGO UAV is a medium-lift, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle that has been demonstrated to both the U.S Marine Corps and U.S Army for its cargo VTOL capabilities, with successful autonomous lift and flight testing under military evaluation programs.”
Designed for operations in conflict areas and remote environments, KARGO UAV has completed initial military contracts and is poised to disrupt both defence and commercial cargo transport.
It continues, “KARGO UAV is a dual-use system built for agile logistics, whether in combat zones or remote commercial operations. Engineered for versatility, it features a compact footprint, allowing for easy transport and rapid deployment in austere environments.”
Then release goes on, “KARGO UAV is optimised for autonomous operations, utilising advanced flight controls and modular payload integration. The system is designed to meet the needs of the Department of Defence and commercial customers that demand affordable and reliable logistics support.”
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The UAV recently demonstrated autonomous cargo lift for the U.S Army and completed fully autonomous flight testing using Near Earth Autonomy’s Peregrine system.
An initial USD12 million was awarded by the U.S Marine Corps for two full-scale prototypes of an Autonomous Resupply Vehicle, as part of the Expeditionary Logistics Program (MARV-EL). Demand is projected to exceed 300 aircraft.
John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft, commented, “This acquisition is a perfect fit for our long-term vision for a family of autonomous VTOL UAS craft to address a diverse range of customer mission requirements in both government and commercial markets.”
He continued, “Kaman’s KARGO UAV program has already achieved significant milestones and with our VTOL expertise, world-class Heliplex and extensive industry partnerships, we are positioned to accelerate KARGO’s transition from prototype to production.”
Piasecki aims to accelerate the development testing toward a production variant to meet growing demand from both military and commercial customers.
The company is to acquire all intellectual property and assets associated with the program and will relocate all R&D and operational activities to its state-of-the-art Heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.
Ross Sealfon
Ross Sealfon, President and CEO of Kaman, added, “This was a strategic decision to ensure that Kaman’s impressive UAV technology finds a home where it can thrive. Piasecki’s reputation for innovation and commercialisation in vertical flight solutions makes them the ideal company to take KARGO UAV to market.”
Piasecki will be exhibiting at the 2025 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit (AAAA) in Nashville at Booth 2010 from May 14th to 16th.
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(Images: Piasecki, Kaman)
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