Wraith Dart
A Dart scanning Atlantis
Production information
Manufacturer	Wraith
Class	Multirole Attack Starfighter Starfighter
Technical specifications
Length	10m
Height/depth	4.5m
Engine unit(s)	Sublight
Hyperdrive system	None (standard)
Shielding	Canopy only
Hull	Organic hull
Countermeasures	Self-destruct
Armament	Energy weapon
Crew	Pilot
Passengers	50 in energy storage
Other systems	Culling beam Self-destruct Dial Home Device
Usage
Role(s)	Fighter "Culling" vessel
Affiliation	Wraith Tau'ri (briefly) Ford's Coalition (briefly) Michael Kenmore

[Source]

"We call them Darts because they're so pointy."

—John Sheppard

Wraith Darts are single-pilot ships used by the Wraith both for combat missions or culling human planets.

OverviewEdit

The primary role of a Dart is the culling of humans to provide the Wraith with their food supply. They are small enough to fit through Stargates and Spacegates but are most often dispatched from a Hive ship which carries hundreds of Darts, stored in large hangar bays. Wraith cruisers also house Darts, but it is unknown how many such a ship carries. (ATL: "Search and Rescue")

During a culling, the Darts make use of their transport beams to capture as many humans as possible, which are later re-materialized on the Hive ships or other locations. (ATL: "Rising")

Darts are also used as fighters deployed against other ships of similar size, to attack a bigger target in large swarms or to protect their mothership. The pilots seem willing to sacrifice themselves by ramming targets or intercepting enemy fire such as Drone weapons and will generally start a suicide attack if their Hive is destroyed. Darts can take heavy losses if they are deployed in the middle of the battle against another Hive. (ATL: "The Queen")

TechnologyEdit

Since the Wraith Dart is capable of traveling through a Stargate, it is equipped with its own Dial Home Device to dial the nearest Stargate, similar to a Puddle Jumper. Like all Wraith ships, the Dart has an organic design. When the Dart approaches its mothership, it automatically activates an autopilot which flies the ship until it lands to allow for smooth docking. If the Dart has something stored in its storage bay, the Dart gives the pilot the option of re-materializing the cargo. (ATL: "The Lost Boys")

The Dart's canopy appears to be a type of energy field that protects the pilot and becomes completely opaque. To fly it, the canopy uses a giant Heads up display projected on the roof of the cockpit that shows all information (in Wraith language) required to pilot the Dart. (ATL: "The Lost Boys")

As the main role of a Dart is to cull humans, they are equipped with a transport beam device that sweeps the ground, dematerializing targets and storing them in the Dart's cargo bay. Humans are not permanently harmed by being captured in this manner although they are unconscious when rematerialized. The beams have also been used to transport Wraith soldiers to and from the surface of a planet, serving as a troop transport in addition to a culling craft. The culling beam can also be used to scan targets. (ATL: "Rising", "The Brotherhood", "The Siege, Part 2", "The Siege, Part 3")

Offensive and defensive systemsEdit

The Darts are equipped with a forward-firing pulse energy weapon which is powerful enough to destroy an F-302 or Puddle Jumper with one well-aimed shot. It is capable of shooting down missiles before they reach their targets.

The Dart lacks any shielding or regenerative armor like larger Wraith ships, so it can easily be destroyed by Drone weapons and Wraith energy weapons, or even Tau'ri projectile weapons such as Railguns. It can also be damaged by small arms such as light machine guns and assault rifles. Its only shielding comes in form of a canopy, which acts like a hull for the cockpit. The Dart is equipped with a self-destruct device. In battle, Darts make frequent use of their transport beam, either to beam away enemy troops or to transport their own troops on enemy territory. (ATL: "Rising", "Sanctuary", "The Brotherhood", "The Siege, Part 2", "The Siege, Part 3", "The Lost Boys", "The Hive", "No Man's Land", "Enemy at the Gate")

External linksEdit

• GateWorld's article on Wraith Dart in The Stargate Omnipedia