Patent-pending modular system designed for handheld, aerial, and ground platforms as the company builds on BolaWrap technology.
Amid rising incidents of drone threats, especially in areas like battlefields or border zones, defense operators are looking to new tools that are not only effective but also affordable, portable, and adaptable to evolving tactics. The global counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) sector is projected to surge from $1.9 billion in 2023 to $6.8 billion, according to data from Verified Market Reports.
Wrap Technologies (NASDAQ: WRAP), a Miami-based public safety tech company, has announced its new 1KC: Kinetic Anti-Drone Cassette, a patent-pending cartridge system built on the same tether technology that powers its flagship BolaWrap 150 device. Used by over 1,000 police agencies worldwide, the BolaWrap leverages sight, sound, and sensation to create a multisensory disruption, giving law enforcement officers time to safely intervene with non-compliant subjects before using force.
The new cassette comes just weeks after announcing its push into the C-UAS market with the development of its Merlin-1 drone payload and PAN-DA handheld anti-drone launcher.
A Cartridge System for Counter-Drone Defense
The 1KC builds on Wrap’s existing BolaWrap platform, reengineering its Kevlar tether into a cassette that can be mounted across multiple systems. According to the company, the design is intended to deliver “increased effective range, a wide area of effect for aerial entanglement, and a reduced form factor to improve portability.”
In practice, this means that an unmanned aircraft system equipped with several 1KC cassettes could disable multiple hostile drones during a single mission, without the financial or logistical burden of single-use interceptors. The cassettes are envisioned to integrate with Wrap’s PAN-DA handheld launcher, the Merlin payload for FPV drones, and even unmanned ground vehicles.
“By extending our patented BolaWrap technology platform, we believe Wrap may be positioned to pursue new market opportunities, including those that we understand relate to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s recently announced Joint Interagency Task Force 401,” said Jared Novick, Wrap’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “By leveraging our already deployed platform, we are working to accelerate potential pathways for adoption while exploring the development of cassette families intended for multiple mission sets.”
Engineered for Mission Flexibility
Wrap says the 1KC aligns with the Department of Defense’s “detect, identify, decide, defeat” framework, potentially serving as a practical kinetic defeat layer at the squad, patrol, or base-defense level. According to the company, potential applications range from base defense nodes to squad-level protection, as well as coordinated counter-swarm effects.
“I’m excited to bring this new cassette to life, which we believe may offer an additional option to address evolving C-UAS challenges,” said Mike Brown, Wrap’s Vice President of Products. “I’m even more eager to see the potential impact our 1KC cassette may have, and how we anticipate customers and partners could adapt these cartridges across their platforms to support C-UAS efforts in the field.”
Scaling a Proven Platform Into C-UAS
The new cassette announcement follows Wrap’s late-August reveal of two other C-UAS systems that are currently in development. The first is Merlin-1, a modular drone-mounted payload carrying up to six BolaWrap cartridges to intercept hostile drones mid-flight. The other is Project PAN-DA, a compact handheld launcher that enables soldiers and operators to target drones at close range from the ground.
While Merlin-1 and PAN-DA focus on developing new delivery systems, the 1KC extends the platform’s reach by retrofitting into existing BolaWrap 150 devices. That backward compatibility means agencies already using the BolaWrap could, in time, adapt familiar hardware for counter-drone missions without starting from scratch. Together, the development of these systems points to Wrap’s broader strategy of turning incremental product innovations into a cohesive defense portfolio.
“This strategy, we believe, reflects how Wrap seeks to transform field-driven innovation into operational readiness and, we hope, support long-term value creation for our stakeholders,” said Novick.
For Wrap, which built its reputation in non-lethal law enforcement tools, the cassette represents another step in adapting its BolaWrap supply chain and tether technology to emerging C-UAS mission requirements.
Spencer Hulse is the Editorial Director at Grit Daily. He is responsible for overseeing other editors and writers, day-to-day operations, and covering breaking news.
