Weapon UAV

The Weapon UAV is a minor UCAV designed to support ADF-11F Raven aircraft. It debuted in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and may be related to the X-45 due to the nigh-identical airframes.

Design
As mentioned, the Weapon UAV looks nigh-identical to the X-45 UCAV; it has the same single-engine design with small wings jutting out of the sides of the craft. The aircraft also possesses a Tactical Laser System, located on the front of the craft. As a result, they are practically flying TLSes.

Two of these aircraft are attached to an instance of ADF-11F. When the ADF-11F is under attack, it may deploy these small UCAVs to support the main craft. They do so by flying around at high speed, harassing attackers and intercepting missiles meant for the main craft with their TLSes. However, as with most UAVs, they are very fragile, capable of being destroyed with one well-aimed missile strike. Also, they require the base ADF-11F Ravens to function; should all Raven aircraft in the vicinity be destroyed, the Weapon UAVs will cease to function.

History
This aircraft only makes a minor appearance in the Lighthouse War; only four of them were encountered by Trigger. The two produced ADF-11F models, codenamed Hugin and Munin, utilized two of these UAVs each as support. As soon as either Raven received a certain threshold of damage, both craft deployed all of their Weapon UAVs at once. However, once Trigger destroyed the Ravens, the remaining Weapon UAVs became no-factor.

Gameplay
How to Unlock
 * -|Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown====Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown===
 * This aircraft is not available to the player.

Trivia

 * In the book Aces At War: A History 2019, the Weapon UAVs, instead of looking as they do in-game, resemble MQ-99s.