Defendtex Night Wraith

History

Defendtex, an Australian munitions specialist, first presented an initial version of the Night Wraith at the Land Forces exhibition in Melbourne in 2024. At that event the system was introduced under the name ‘Snare’ as an upgraded 70 mm laser-guided rocket designed to conduct land-strike missions against armoured platforms at ranges of up to 50 km. The latest variant of the Night Wraith was unveiled at the Land Forces exhibition in Perth, Australia, from 6 to 8 October 2026. In this updated configuration the munition retains its land-strike capability and additionally supports counter-UAS roles. Defendtex is positioning the system as a more cost-effective alternative to existing 70 mm guided rockets, including BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS).

Specifications

In its standard configuration the Night Wraith has an all-up weight of 10 kg, with the option of an additional 3.5 kg rocket booster for assisted launch. It carries a 4 kg warhead. Defendtex states a maximum range of 1,000 km, a cruising speed of 200 km/h, and a burst speed of 500 km/h. The standard configuration measures 2.3 m in length with a 2.5 m wingspan. According to Travis Reddy, CEO of Defendtex, the munition is designed to be modular, with the capacity to carry an unlimited number of in-line batteries to extend range and endurance; however, incorporating additional batteries requires a larger wingspan.