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Kaman Corporation has conducted a first flight of the full-scale KARGO unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an autonomous, expeditionary resupply vehicle.
According to Kaman, the milestone signifies a major accomplishment in the ongoing flight test progression, with the development of this medium-lift unmanned aerial system now well underway.
Contributions from partners significantly aided the success of the KARGO UAV flight test. Near Earth Autonomy, Kaman’s partner for the autonomy system based in Pittsburgh, PA, provided autonomy features on the KARGO UAV. The two companies had previously collaborated on the K-MAX unmanned system and had showcased an earlier version of the autonomy technology to the Marines in April 2021. The Alaska Center for UAS Integration, part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, was key in facilitating KARGO UAV flight test operations.
Romin Dasmalchi, General Manager of KARGO UAV, said; “It is difficult to describe the sense of satisfaction one feels when watching an aircraft take flight for the first time, and very few people get the opportunity to participate in something like this. This team worked hard to get here, and the intensity continues as we look to move from prototyping to production.”
KARGO UAV is currently competing under the Marines’ Medium Autonomous Resupply Vehicle—Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) program, which is managed by NAVAIR PMA-263 and culminates in a fly-off in July of this year.
