Piasecki acquires Kaman's KARGO UAV program

Piasecki Aircraft Corp., a pioneer in vertical flight, has acquired Kaman Air Vehicles' KARGO UAV program, expanding its portfolio of vertical lift and cargo uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) solutions. KARGO UAV is a medium-lift, autonomous uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) that has been demonstrated to the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army for cargo vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities, with successful autonomous lift and flight testing under military evaluation programs. Designed for operations in contested and remote environments, KARGO UAV has completed initial military contracts.

KARGO UAV is a dual-use system built for agile logistics, whether in combat zones or remote commercial operations. It features a compact footprint, allowing for easy transport and rapid deployment in austere environments. KARGO UAV is optimized for autonomous operations, using advanced flight controls and modular payload integration. The system is designed to meet the needs of the Department of Defense and commercial customers requiring affordable and reliable logistics support. Its robust construction, adaptability, and small logistical footprint position it as a solution for augmenting efficiency in remote and tactical settings.

KARGO UAV recently demonstrated autonomous cargo lift for the U.S. Army and completed fully autonomous flight testing using Near Earth Autonomy's Peregrine system. With an initial $12 million award from the U.S. Marine Corps Marine Corps Autonomous Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics Program (MARV-EL), two full-scale prototypes, and demand projected to exceed 300 aircraft, Piasecki aims to accelerate development testing toward a production variant to meet growing demand from military and commercial customers.

The addition of Kaman's advanced UAV technology aligns with Piasecki's existing rotorcraft portfolio, enhancing its ability to deliver cargo transport solutions to military and commercial sectors. Piasecki will acquire all intellectual property and assets associated with the program and will relocate all R&D and operational activities from Bloomfield, Connecticut to Piasecki's Heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

"This acquisition is a perfect fit for Piasecki's long-term vision for a family of autonomous VTOL UAS solutions to address a diverse range of customer mission requirements in both government and commercial markets," said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft Corp. "Kaman's KARGO UAV program has already achieved significant milestones. With our VTOL expertise, world-class Heliplex, and deep industry partnerships, we are positioned to accelerate KARGO's transition from prototype to production. Piasecki has adopted a family of systems approach to the cargo UAS market that offers greater scalability and adaptability than single-platform strategies."

"This was a strategic decision to ensure that Kaman's impressive UAV technology finds a home where it can thrive," said Ross Sealfon, president and CEO of Kaman Corp. "Piasecki's reputation for innovation and commercialization 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, May 14-16. Attendees are invited to visit Booth #2010 to explore the KARGO UAV and Piasecki's growing portfolio of advanced vertical lift and autonomous cargo solutions.