Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Piasecki Unveils Upgraded Kargo UAV for Autonomous Logistics
Kargo II triples the payload capacity of the original Kargo UAV
A digital rendering of the Piasecki Kargo II UAV
The Kargo II vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is designed to autonomously transport 1,200 to 2,000 pounds of cargo for defense and commercial logistics. © Piasecki Aircraft

Piasecki Aircraft is introducing a more robust variant of the Kargo medium-lift uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) it acquired from Kaman Air Vehicles earlier this year, the company announced on August 12. 

Called Kargo II, the new aircraft will be the same size as the original Kargo UAV but with a payload capacity of up to 2,000 pounds—more than three times the Kargo UAV’s maximum payload. It will offer a range of 850 nm at a cruise speed of 65 knots with a maximum speed of 120 knots. According to Piasecki, the Kargo II features a new shaft-driven transmission and larger rotors to increase its performance.