Abstract: A cargo round (e.g., 155 mm high explosive projectile) is provided for dispensing submunitions. The round includes a nose tip, a casing attached thereto forming a chamber, a tail and a payload in the chamber between the tip and tail. The payload includes a plurality of axi-symmetric darts mounted on a plurality of front and rear tandem plates. Each dart has fore and aft ends along a polar axis. Each dart is shaped as a cone at its fore end and includes a cavity at its aft end. Each plate has a plurality of orifices arranged in a regular pattern. Each orifice receives a corresponding dart to protrude from both obverse and reverse sides of the plate. Each fore end of its dart in the rear plate inserts into the cavity of a counterpart dart in the front plate, and each plate shears apart on release of the payload to disperse the darts.