The Marines' newly-armed Osprey tests guns, rockets, and missiles
The Marine Corps is now arming its Osprey tiltrotor aircraft with a range of weapons to enable its assault support and escort missions in increasingly high-threat combat environments.
Rockets, guns, and missiles are among the weapons now under consideration, as the Corps examines requirements for an "all-quadrant" weapons application versus other possible configurations such as purely "forward firing" weapons.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/marines-osprey-guns-rockets-missiles
I guess there MIGHT be some tactical advantage for the jarheads because their mama (the Navy) doesn't like them asking strangers in USAF uniforms for help,and basically all the Navy has that is armed are the jets. Jets are VERY nice because they can come to your aid quicker when you are being overran by the Godless Hordes,but the truth is they suck for close in infantry support because they are moving so damn fast. Yeah,we used them when jets were all we could get when we were getting kneedeep in commies in Laos and Cambodia,but what we REALLY wanted was helicopter gun ships or the old A1 Sky Raider propeller fighter/bomber. They,especially the helicopter gunships could fly low and slow,and flat put the daman-damn right where it was needed the most,and in high volumes.
Then again,the old Sky Raiders carried napalm. Ain't NOTHING gets the natives moving to the rear at a high rate of speed like seeing that big SOB tumbling through the air on it's way to the ground. I used to refer to calling for napalm strikes as "Calling for Crispy Critters". The cannons and 50 caliber machine guns didn't hurt any,either.
BTW,does anyone know if USMC aviation has Spectre gun ships,or is that still USAF only? Do the USMC troops on the ground even have the authority to call them in without getting prior approval? Having a couple of those baby's circling around you looking for something to shoot up tends to make the enemy hear their mama's calling them home,too.
