DiTron Heavy Industries of Terra developed the Nightwing as part of the Terran Hegemony's ongoing effort to maintain its current intelligence edge over all neighboring realms. Designed exclusively for surveillance in potentially hostile territories, this small Warship, which would be a companion to the older Tracker surveillance vessel, was deliberately constructed to resemble common civilian Jumpships of the era. The appearance allowed it to infiltrate neighboring states under the guise of a simple transport, or trader, a tactic that gave this ship broad reach across the Inner Sphere.
         A sophisticated network of electronic sensors lined the outer hull of the Nightwing, along with an array of retractable sensor dishes and antennae in the side and forward sections of the vessel. Additionally, four small craft bays allowed for the use of in-system shuttles and landing craft or even two lances of aerospace fighters. These vehicles could provide additional information even as the Nightwing parked at the jump point and drew a charge from its detachable jump sail.
         Though designed to appear as a Jumpship, the Nightwing featured a Warship's drive with a maximum acceleration of 2.5Gs for in-system and combat maneuvers. Though often not used, these engines and a formidable array of capital lasers, PPCs, and autocannons allowed this vessel to quickly deal with any opposition short of another Warship or heavy aerospace fighter screen.
         Despite a long and distinguished history as a spy vessel, the passage of time ultimately led to the Nightwing's demise. Its electronics suite became outdated and was too entwined with the vessel's internal structure to be replaced. This as well as its slow speed and increasingly high profile among the neighboring realms, forced the Hegemony to request a new surveillance ship to take its place. The search for a replacement began in 2525, finally ending in the selection of the hyper-advanced Bug-Eye. The Nightwing was gradually phased out over the following century. None are thought to have survived the Amaris crisis.