The difference between this and offline missions, is the infinite repeat aspect.
Over the years we have asked for the following to which offline missions are pointed to by the offline mission crowd. Practicing a specific gunnery action to polish it, is defeated by offline missions and the semi unpredictable nature of that function.
1. - A stock menu of different level drone patterns.
2. - The sub choice to add dives and climbs.
3. - The choice to cause the drones to perform a defensive break turn at a fixed range, then return to the pattern.
These three actions are stock to the general expected maneuvering in the MA before being forced to commit to ACM. From experience, most new players and some vets cannot hit under these basic circumstances let alone when they are forced into ACM. Like any martial art, you practice the basics ad nauseam to build the foundation for all other technique.
At times over the years, having the drone fly on missing a wing has frustrated about half of the reasons I was testing gunnery or a gunsight offline. The one saving grace is for destruct testing to gain an understanding of the current damage modeling and hardness in force.