“Piasecki Aircraft Unveils KARGO II: Next-Generation Autonomous VTOL For Commercial & Defence Logistics”
Piasecki Aircraft Corps announced this week the unveiling of the next evolution in autonomous VTOL logistics: The KARGO II, reports a press release. This is a new and larger-capacity version of the KARGO UAV medium-lift unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) acquired from Kaman Air Vehicles in April.
Featuring major payload, drivetrain and performance upgrades, KARGO II complements KARGO UAV to meet the varied demands of both military and commercial operations and represents a growing portfolio of UAVs offered by Piasecki.
The release explains, “Designed to operate in contested and remote environments, KARGO II retains the compact form factor of KARGO UAV while delivering 2 to 3x the payload capacity, from approximately 500-800 lbs to over 1,500lbs, with improved range, airspeed, and mission flexibility.”
It continues, “The system features a new optimised shaft-driven transmission along with larger rotors to enable the increased performance. KARGO IIis the pre-planned production-representative configuration which was a result of the program’s spiral development approach.”
John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft, commented, “KARGO II reflects our commitment to rapidly advancing autonomous vertical lift capabilities. With the launch of this first major development spiral, we’ve created a more capable, scalable solution for autonomous logistics, designed to meet the evolving requirements of defence and commercial customers alike.”
The release adds, “KARGO II builds on successful flight testing and demonstration milestones completed by KARGO UAV under early U.S Army and Marine Corps contracts, including autonomous lift operations and integration with advanced flight control systems.”
Romin Dasmalchi, Director of Cargo UAS Programs at Piasecki, remarked, “KARGO II is a direct response to operator feedback, validated use cases, and real-world mission needs. We’ve engineered a platform that offers the range, lift, and reliability that commercial operators and military planners have been asking for.”
The release continues, “Commercial availability for KARGO II in both domestic and international markets is planned for late 2027, subject to production and certification milestones. Initial demand for KARGO UAV and KARGO IIexceeds 300 vehicles from sectors such as energy, logistics, disaster response and remote infrastructure support, where legacy helicopter operations are often cost-prohibitive or logistically constrained.”
It concludes, “The upgraded UAV will be initially manufactured at Piasecki’s state-of-the-art Heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, leveraging the company’s long-standing expertise in VTOL system development and flight testing. Additional program partners and supply chain contributors will be announced in the coming months.”
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(Top image: KARGO II)
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