The AI and its that which does Strategic combat has a tendency to retain fighters for ground combat where they are ton for ton more dangerous and faster than troops. If you want fighters to launch into the space combat phase have them in hangars on ships or orbital bases. Fighters will also need stores and ordinance pods to be of use as whilst the planet might have unlimited supplies of them it still need some where to put them on the fighter. Same goes for troops by the way.
The storage capacity of small weapons and small engines is inadequate
retained for ground combat
The AI and its that which does Strategic combat has a tendency to retain fighters for ground combat where they are ton for ton more dangerous and faster than troops. If you want fighters to launch into the space combat phase have them in hangars on ships or orbital bases. Fighters will also need stores and ordinance pods to be of use as whilst the planet might have unlimited supplies of them it still need some where to put them on the fighter. Same goes for troops by the way.
The storage capacity of small weapons and small engines is inadequate