F-99 Wombat

The F99 UCAV, commonly known as the "drone fighter", is a carrier-based air combat vehicle used by the UNSC Air Force.^{[citation needed]}

Operational history

During the Battle of Mombasa and Battle of Voi in late October 2552, numerous F-99s were deployed in recon elements numbering two to three aircraft to the city of New Mombasa from UNSC Aircraft Carriers stationed some distance off the coast. They acted as air support for Marines in combat. One of these drones crashed into a statue in front of the Uplift Nature Reserve and its ejected optics package was later found by a lone ODST.

The F-99 was originally going to be featured in Halo 3 under the name "F99 Wombat", but didn't appear until Halo 3: ODST.^[1] It was featured in the Art of Halo 3 book.^[2]
Several F-99's also appear on nearby aircraft carriers in the multiplayer map Longshore.^[3]

It is possible, as the F-99 Wombat is an unmanned aircraft, that the drone is controlled by an onboard AI instead of a human remote operator.
The F-99's overall design is very similar to the YSS-1000 Sabre, namely in the position and shape of the vertical stabilizers.

An overview of the F-99 UCAV Drone Fighter of Halo 3: ODST.
F-99Wombat.PNG

Concept art of the Drone from The Art of Halo 3, at the time called the "Wombat".
Concept drone.png

Concept art of the fighter's optics package.
Drone - Concept Art01.jpg

Scenery concept of the F-99.
Drone - Concept Art02.jpg

Concept art of the F-99.
An underside view of the F-99.
A close-up of a F-99 in flight over the Uplift Reserve.
Three F-99s flying in formation over New Mombasa.
F-99s on the carrier off the coast of Longshore. These drones are much more similar to the concept drawing seen in The Art of Halo 3, rather than the boxy simplified version seen in Halo 3: ODST.