drones, it makes complete sense to me to use those projectiles to set off mines - after all thats how you do it without proper minesweepers.
As for fighters doing damage to planets, they actually do, and they're good at it. I once tried this interesting setting in SP against the AI, i gave all my battlecruisers or battleships (dont remember) a fighter bay or two and loaded them with fighters with small napalm bombs... they're good at it! if there are no targets, they just stay out of combat... if there are... woe to the planet!
they pump out some neat damage with those - 90 damage per shot, ROF of two. is it a problem to have 50 fighters flying around?
