Cardinal II

Cardinal II is a hand-launched, parachute-recovered mini-UAV developed by Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), fielded by the Republic of China Marine Corps and Army for tactical reconnaissance. It improves on the earlier Cardinal I with a better payload, a digital data link and an automatic tracking antenna system.

Overview

NCSIST began developing Cardinal II in 2009 as an upgrade to the original Cardinal I prototype, and showed a model at the Taipei International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition in August 2013 before formally unveiling the system in December 2014; Taiwan later displayed a Cardinal II mock-up at the Bahrain Air Show in January 2016 and exhibited the type at the 2015 Paris Air Show. The Republic of China Marine Corps ordered five Cardinal II units for delivery in 2016, and Wikipedia records a later Navy procurement of 54 aircraft, organised into units of six primary drones plus three backups each. NCSIST has since developed further members of the same family: Cardinal III, a VTOL design shown at the 2023 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition and aimed at Marine Corps coastal surveillance, and Fire Cardinal, a twin-propeller loitering munition first exhibited in 2019.

Design and capabilities

Cardinal II is 1.9 m long with a 1.3 m wingspan and a gross weight of about 5.5 kg, light enough to break down and carry in a backpack; a brushless electric motor drives a two-blade propeller in the nose. It carries a 360° electro-optical or infrared camera under the fuselage and an autopilot that transmits data and imagery in real time, giving battalion-level combat units real-time, precise target location. Airforce Technology and Wikipedia both give a cruise speed of 55 km/h and a flight endurance of about one hour, with Wikipedia citing an 8 km remote-control range; Wikipedia separately lists a 50 km figure elsewhere in its infobox without explaining the discrepancy, so the shorter, repeatedly cited 8 km figure is used here. The aircraft is hand-launched and recovered by parachute, or can land using a glide method.

Operational history

Cardinal II entered Taiwanese military service from 2016 with the Republic of China Marine Corps and Army, supporting intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target-acquisition missions at the battalion level, alongside civil uses such as remote sensing and disaster relief. NCSIST has continued to develop the Cardinal family since, including the VTOL Cardinal III and the Fire Cardinal loitering munition.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Cardinal II?

A hand-launched, parachute-recovered mini-UAV built by Taiwan's NCSIST for tactical reconnaissance, fielded by the Republic of China Marine Corps and Army.

How far and how long can the Cardinal II fly?

About 8 km of remote-control range and roughly one hour of endurance, cruising at 55 km/h, according to Wikipedia and Airforce Technology.

Who operates the Cardinal II?

Taiwan's Republic of China Marine Corps and Army, which began receiving the type from 2016.

How is the Cardinal II launched and recovered?

It is launched by hand and recovered by parachute, or can glide in to land.

What other aircraft are in the Cardinal family?

Cardinal II followed the original Cardinal I; NCSIST has since developed the VTOL Cardinal III and the Fire Cardinal loitering munition.