Just my sketchy thoughts on this -- take it for what you will.
You either need to find targets with relatively weak fighter cover (Antifighter 1 is riskable), or have bombers. Bombers are now high-value weapons that make the fighter itself dangerous. The best of the best out there for this role include (and my quick assessment):
Thunderbolt (=)
Firebolt (=, expensive)
Thorun Torpedobomber (=)
Rutarian (=)
Riva (+, never fought them, but they look just brutal, not too expensive)
Pikatos (?)
Sky Serpent (+ to -, need other non-Drazi fighters to give cover, otherwise rarely last 2 turns before a dogfight kills them)
Tzymm (+, these are VILE)
Por'fa'tais (-, slow, the dodge is woeful, fleet has zero carriers)
Fighter strike targets are almost always Shadows, Drakh, Stealth reduction needs, Patrol or Skirmish units at edges of formations, or support units with low antifighter, such as Scouts, especially patrol ones like the Jashakar and the Eyehawk.
Hull 5 is acceptable as a strike fighter well, up to an including Antifighter 2, as long as dodge scores are high.
Fighters have free reign if your opponent is big on Close Blast Doors, All Hands on Deck, and/or CAF. Making him pay, well -- anything at all, for these powerful special orders is worthwhile.
Fighters are also excellent at eliminating cripples, who likely have lost Antifighter because they are crippled, don't have Interceptors, and won't get to fight back -- they'll be dead.
If nothing else, fighters are almost always good for interceptors (Dear Lord, why can't the Abbai Kotha act as an interceptor? This wounds me.).
Because of the damage sequence, this stacks with Dodge well, so this is good for Drazi (who have no interceptors), Dilgar (who have no defenses, period), Whitestar allied fighters (this is particularly nasty/abusive), and the Liati (use regular Sentri for this, not your excellent Rutarians).