F-99 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle

The F99 Osprey Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, commonly known as the "Drone Fighter" or "Osprey" or "Wombat," is a carrier-based air combat craft 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 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.Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Uplift Reserve It was featured in the Art of Halo 3 book.The Art of Halo 3, page 39
*Several F-99's also appear on nearby aircraft carriers in the multiplayer map Longshore.files.bungie.org: H3_Longshore05.jpg
*The F-99 resembles a now defunct military project named Project Pluto that was an unmanned combat vehicle that could travel at incredible speeds at extremely low levels and deliver weapons such as hydrogen bombs.
*The optics package of the F-99 can be seen in the final cutscene of Halo 3: ODST as a "toy" for Vergil.
*F-99's in Halo are similar to 21st century UAVs.
*The F-99 may be inspired from the SR-71 Blackbird.
*The F-99 could have been an inspiration to the Sabre in Halo: Reach as they both look alike, but the Sabre is manned and is a Spacecraft.
==Gallery==
File:F-99.1.png|Concept art of the Drone from the Art of Halo 3, at the time called the "Wombat."
File:F-99.2.png
File:F-99.3.jpg
File:F-99.4.jpg
File:WombatFighterODST.png|An underside view of the F-99.
File:F-99_Perspective.jpg|A close-up of a F-99 in flight over the Uplift Reserve.
File:Aire Recon.jpg|Two F-99s conducting reconnaissance over Uplift Reserve.
File:F-99_CAP.jpg|Three F-99s flying in formation over New Mombasa.
File:Longshore_F-99s.jpg|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.
94882025-Full.jpg|An F-99 from the front.
H3ODST-F99UCAV-Overview.png|An overview of the F-99 UCAV Drone Fighter of Halo 3: ODST.
droneview.PNG|The HUD of the F-99's optics package.
dutchf99.PNG|Dutch watching several F-99's pass over Uplift Reserve.
==Appearances==
*Halo 3
*Halo 3: ODST
*Halo: Hunters in the Dark
==Sources==
Category:Human Aircraft