Forward-Firing Osprey

The Military Wants a Forward-Firing Gun for the Osprey

Thanks to the Osprey’s unique design it only mounts rear-shooting guns.

By Kyle Mizokami

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley McLaughlin

The U.S. Marines and Air Force still want a belly-mounted gun for the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.


Although the Osprey is now equipped with a gun, that weapon must fire out the open cargo ramp and can cover only targets to the rear. The Osprey’s design prevents it from having side-mounted machine guns. So, the military wants a retractable gun on the bottom of the aircraft that can cover a wide arc.

The V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor transport capable of moving troops faster than conventional helicopters can. Unlike helicopters, however the Osprey has a major problem: It cannot easily carry external weapons. Because of the tilt rotor design, which places two large propellers and engine nacelles to the left and right of the fuselage, machine guns cannot be safely fired from the side of the aircraft.


A U.S. Marine fires a GAU-21 .50-caliber machine gun at simulated enemy targets from the back of a MV-22 Osprey.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley McLaughlin

Instead, the Osprey has a provision for a machine gun, usually a M240B 7.62-millimeter machine gun or M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun, that can be fired out the back of the rear cargo ramp. That limits the firing arc to the rear of the aircraft, meaning it can engage a target only as the Osprey is flying away from it.

The solution: mount a gun on the belly of the Osprey, where it can fire to the front and rear. A forward-firing gun could lay down suppressive fire in the area the Osprey is moving toward. Remote controlled, the gun would retract into the aircraft before the V-22 touches down on the ground.


BAE Systems

In the early 2010s the Marines mounted BAE Systems’ Defense Weapon System (DWS) on a number of Ospreys. The DWS was withdrawn from service after the Corps discovered quality and capability issues, as well as damage to the fuselages of test aircraft.

According to Military.com the services are still looking for a belly gun, and Osprey contractors Bell and Boeing want to install one, caliber and type to be determined. Military.com quotes the commander of the Air Force’s 1st Special Operations Wing, Col. Tom Palenske, as saying, "I'd take it right now if we could figure it out. But I'd rather have one that actually works, that's good, that meets the mission requirements. Rather good than fast.”

If Ospreys ever fly into the teeth of opponents with more firepower than the Taliban or ISIS, they will need a forward-firing gun to beat down anti-aircraft guns. Russian or Chinese forces will have many more anti-aircraft guns and missiles to down enemy aircraft, and a fast-firing Gatling gun would be crucial to the survival of the Osprey in such an environment.

Via Military.com.