Buffing AA

I wouldn't mind the Valkyrie getting the Rocketpods and point-and-click style weapons if you use a combat-variant. It might be durable but it is also lacking the instant-escape button that ESF have, so it has to better judge when it's received enough damage. This would fit well with the helicopter-like aestetic and playstyle it could easily perform.

ESF on the other hand should focus less on being flying turrets/helicopter gunships and more on their speed and mobility. Dropping bombs instead of firing immenesely accurate rockets and missiles would fit ESF, and would especially fit with a more skillful G2A system where they have to dodge and weave between the shots in order to get their load off.

Good pilots will kill you before you have a chance to lock onto them and fire your missiles, so Time to kill will not matter at that point; and should teach you what every terrorist militant in Iraq/ran knows via trial and error.... DO NOT STAND OUT IN THE OPEN WITH A ROCKET/MISSILE LAUNCHER WHILE A PLANE IS LOOKING AT YOU!!!! If you do that much, guess what? YOU DO NOT DIE.... Even if you buffed the damage to Anti-Air, all you will do is force them into a corner, and they will equip an 8X and sniper at you from Resolution Range. And then bail at the first hint of damage. If you think they are bad now, wait until you force everyone to play them the way they SHOULD be played.... That is exactly what boosting A.A. will do. The armor they have now, encourages them to chance a battle with you. A Decimator already shoots them down in one shot. If they are that close, they deserve to die; but the rest? Considering they have to deal with 2 damage sources on the regular, (Air and Ground) they do not need anything more to worry about. No major Buffs are needed, save for with perhaps the Basilisk. I claim a TON of aircraft from E.S.F.s to Galaxy in battle and do so with a Ranger, in one on one combat no less. A Skyguard is even better than a Ranger. You have to Max out the weapons and do so in the proper area to see them shine.

The Flare idea is a great idea, I had the something similar brewing in the back of my mind, but since I am mainlining N.S.O. at the moment, I had put it on the back burner. I will say, that would encourage them to attack ground targets longer and give them the safety to do so longer and give, non-lock weapons more of a chance to drop them... But pilots will not bother to equip it unless they believe they have enough armor to possibly escape without giving up their plane. So it would only work without Buffs to the known major players of A.A.