Strike fighter

"Marcus Lehto"

The UNSC strike fighter was planned to be used as a heavy fighter aircraft for the player to use in the opening stages of Halo 2, but it was never added to the game.

Overview
The strike fighter was intended as a defensive space fighter for use by the UNSC during the Battle for Earth. The vehicle would have little place in actual gameplay, and instead be a cinematic-only vehicle, similar to the Longsword seen in the final game. For gameplay, the designers needed more of a "Black Hawk-type vehicle", likely referring to the cut Falcon UNSC aircraft.

Early storyboards for the levels Cairo Station and the cut level Covenant Ship show some more usage of the strike fighter; in the cut sections of Halo 2's early story, the strike fighters would have filled the role shown by the Longsword in the final game - performing an attack run on a Covenant carrier.

The strike fighter notably bears a strong resemblance space fighters designed by Bungie in the late titles; specifically the YSS-1000 Sabre in Halo: Reach and the jumpships of the later Destiny.