Interesting topic that should be fun to kick around.
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Nope!
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That’s almost like asking if getting the top kill score in a round of Battlefield makes you an expert marksman or sniper.
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IMHO, the targets ability to fight back should be considered.
A drone that doesn’t turn around and fire back should not count.
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Busting a Chinese Spy Balloon or Houthi drone or Russian drone targeting cities or Ukrainian drone seeking to blow up a Russian oil refinery should count for something for the pilot…new category, drone ace?
It wouldn’t be anything new if they did. During the Vietnam war NVA pilots were allowed to claim a kill if they shot down a Firebee/Lightning Bug recon drone. They didn’t fight back, but were considered high value targets because the info they gathered. As has already been pointed out, preventing serious death and damage from modern drone attacks ought to count for something.
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Let’s try it from another angle.
A bomber pilot, flies over a target and drops the bombs.
The bombs take out a launch site where a bunch of missiles were
ready to be launched at the civilian population in the bomber pilots
country.
Is this bomber pilot an ace thanks to preventing thousands of civilian
casualties in his country?
Going one step further, assume that target for those missiles was a
factory where the bomber pilots nation was producing their own missiles.
Also assume that it was the bomber pilots nation that started the war.
Seven Ukrainian drones targeted at miltary targets in Russia.
Seven Russian (i.e. Iranian) drones targeting Ukrainian cities.
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The bomber pilot is not a “fighter” pilot.
I think in this case a Houthi drone is akin to v-2 or someways a tomahawk missile. It’s a one way not controlled by a pilot of any kind that can change its path so it would not make you an ace but you could get credits for a mission kill etc. On the flip side if it was some like a MQ-9 drone that is controlled by a pilot, change course etc and can be armed with something that can shoot you down (while not designed, I am sure they could if in the right scenario shoot down an aircraft or using the drone in a way to take you out) then something like that would count as Mig kill. The small UA drones with a grenade wouldn’t could cause that is not flying thousands of feet in the air. It has a controller not a pilot in command.
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Agreed, you only become an ace when you fight for it,…The pilot(s) involved/credited drone/balloon busters will be mocked in the pilot bar for sure. For us the modeling community the markings always a very nice addition. And for the potential victims of the attackers the pilots are hero’s.
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Apples and Oranges here.
That’s like asking if a Waist Gunner on a B-17 could be considered a “Flying Ace” if he shoots down 5 enemy fighter planes with his .50 caliber MG…
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So if I’m an F-15 pilot and shoot down three transport plans carrying the troops and the Russian General Staff that doesn’t count as airplane kills because a transport plane can’t fight back?
Likewise, an F16 hot shot pilot sends a couple of ground support helicopters down in flames so they wouldn’t count either?
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these count 100% but i get your point
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But then again taking down an unarmed transport chopper is not as difficult as going up against another trained fighter pilot.
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It’s a kill, but not the same as a manned aircraft. A different category. Just like the RAF pilots of 1944 tasked with shooting down V-1 Buzz Bombs. The weaponry has improved, but risks of collision with the target or getting caught in the blast of a drone with an impact warhead do exist.
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Ace? Against a drone-Nope. Now maybe a category for the most drone kills in a heavy drone laden fight. But then again it’s not a fight up there. How about a special category for drone kills based on type and country?
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If I worked for the “agency” in the 1980’s and splashed half a dozen unarmed civilian planes smuggling dope into the USA around Florida, I’d be an ace right?
Asking for a friend.
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If I “climbed” seven mole hills I’d be a mountaineer,
or maybe not …
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I hope the pilot who shot down the first China balloon swaggered into the bar and said… “Well, who’s buying me a fu–kin’ beer?”
—mike 
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not … 
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This question will become a lot more interesting when algorithms controlling unmanned aircraft no longer require human input and the aircraft carry lethal weapons specifically for destroying other aircraft.
Another possibility is that LASER and MASER weapons become so accurate, compact, energy efficient, and stealth penetrating that air travel through contested space becomes impossible.
Anything a human can do, a properly programmed computer can do more effectively and faster. It will take time to find those algorithms, but they will be found.
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