Satellites apparently count (or would have with the USAF's program). But I don't think missiles do. Drones, who knows. Some are almost as big as a 737. Others are the size of your head.Helicopters count as kills for ace status, I think, so shooting one down would get you closer to Ace status. Drones... open question. No precedent has been set, as far as I'm aware. Is it enough that the target simply be small and fast moving? If so, does shooting down a missile or satellite count as a kill? Or does it have to be controlled by a human that's in the craft that gets shot down?
Put simply, no. They don't have the speed or maneuverability to take on fast jets. Even a 60 year old A-4 Skyhawk could mop the floor with an Osprey. Basically, if it's a jet and it has a cannon, it's gonna win. The only way an Osprey shoots down fast movers is from ambush and only if it's equipped with Sidewinders. And even then, you could put the Osprey into a years long WWIII scenario, and it's kill count will probably be in single digits.Would training and doctrine allow for handling of jets? After all, you are supposed to be sneaking in. The bigger the air group, the easier to see you. Then again, Air Force pilots want all of the air kills. means they still have a fighter mission.
Put simply, no. They don't have the speed or maneuverability to take on fast jets. Even a 60 year old A-4 Skyhawk could mop the floor with an Osprey. Basically, if it's a jet and it has a cannon, it's gonna win. The only way an Osprey shoots down fast movers is from ambush and only if it's equipped with Sidewinders. And even then, you could put the Osprey into a years long WWIII scenario, and it's kill count will probably be in single digits.
Basically. It could be useful for getting back out after an insertion as well. For example, the Osprey is on the ground doing whatever it needs to, fast jets fly past that don't realize it's there, the Osprey can send a Sidewinder up its ass, then haul ass through the hole it just blew in the BARCAPThis is like the 1980s proposal to arm the USN ASW aircraft with a Sidewinder. It makes sense only as a last ditch defense measure. If a interceptor gets past the CAP & is on approach you turn towards them & let fly with the sidewinder & pray.
No it makes a lot more sense for a V-22 platform as a gunship than a CH-53. To avoid the issues with the UH-1 where the gunships could not keep with the the troop transports that led to the AH-1, which can keep up with CH-53 but not V-22. You want a gunship escort that can cruise at 450 kph and a 700km combat radius, which means a tiltrotor, and for parts commonality a variant of the Osprey makes the most sense, though on the level of AH-1 to UH-1. It's not ideal or even very good as a gunship taken in isolation, but a bad gunship that is here now is better than a great gunship that was bingo fuel 200km back or is still an hour awayThat there ehas never been a working plan to arm them this way should tell you something. It would make more sense to arm the CH53 as a gunship. At least it has proved able to maneuver, barrel rolls, corkscrew rolls, tight turns, steep climbs ect... The USMC proposals have a variety of reasons behind them, but I cant see any as winning arguments. The Osprey has capacity for a medium lift bird, and good range. Can get in & out of a LZ fast, but thats about it. Maybe some future variable geometry bird will be suitable as a multi role platform, but Ospery does not look like it.