F-99 Wombat

F99 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle

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.

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. It was featured in the Art of Halo 3 book.
 * Several F-99's also appear on nearby aircraft carriers in the multiplayer map Longshore.

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.

List of appearances

 * The Art of Halo 3
 * Halo 3: ODST