F-99 Wombat

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The F99 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, commonly known as the "Drone Fighter" or "Wombat", 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 around two to three aircraft to the city of New Mombasa from UNSC Aircraft Carriers stationed some distance off the coast. They acted as vital air support for the Marines in combat. One of these drones somehow crashed into a statue in front of the Uplift Nature Reserve and its ejected optics package was later found by a lone ODST.

Behind the Scenes

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]

Trivia

Interestingly, Dutch told the F-99s flying over his crash site "Good hunting, boys". This is strange since the F99s are unmanned drones. This was most likely either a misunderstanding on his part or just an act of blind encouragement. However, simply being unmanned does not necessarily imply that they couldn't be remotely operated elsewhere, similar to the "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" of today such as the MQ-9 Reaper. It is possible either a human being or an AI are in control.

Gallery

F-99Wombat.JPG

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.
WombatFighterODST.png

An underside view of the F-99.
A close-up of a F-99 in flight over the Uplift Reserve.
Aire Recon.jpg

Two F-99s conducting reconnaissance over 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.