Marine Corps to put more weapons on Osprey

Marine Corps Times:

The Marine Corps' most unique aircraft is going to get a bigger punch.

A Marine Corps planning document shows that officials want to arm the MV-22B Osprey with more weapons so the aircraft can support the service's new crisis response forces that carry out missions like embassy evacuations.

An "enhanced weapon systems is in early development to increase all-axis, stand-off, and precision capabilities," according to the service's recently-released 10-year aviation plan.

Officials at Headquarters Marine Corps said the aircraft's flexibility and versatility lets the service add capabilities, and they are considering arming the Osprey with "a greater weapons capability than currently installed."

Capt. Dustin Pratico, a Marine Corps spokesman, said there are several locations on the tiltrotor where the weapons could be installed, depending on the type and purpose of the weapon. Defense contractors are looking for options both by internal research and by developing new concepts, and there is no timeline for installing these new weapons on the V-22, he said.
...

"Enhanced offensive weapon systems on the MV-22 will provide increased capabilities for the SPMAGTF-CR and employment options to the combatant commander," the plan states. "The future Marine Expeditionary Force will require an assortment of light-weight precision weapons with scalable lethality. As the MAGTF becomes digitally interoperable, Marine aviation will become more lethal through net-enabled weapons that take advantage of our ability to out-pace our adversaries."

A net-enabled weapon is a munition connected to a datalink that allows commanders to adjust its trajectory mid-flight.
...

The last two quoted paragraphs pack a lot of military jargon  to describe laser and GPS guided ammo.  The Osprey currently has a machine gun on its belly as its only onboard weapon system.  It needs more punch to defend itself and the Marines it is carrying.