Recon Screen and Target Steerpoints - Long Discussion.
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Hi All:
FWIW I have read/watched:
1. BMS Manual 6.1.2. “Targets”;
2. TO-BMS1F-16CM-34-1-1 3.14.18 “Spice Bomb”;
3. “Falcon 4 BMS Tutorial Fraggin’ (Planning) a Package” by Krause;
4. “Falcon 4 BMS - Fragging a Package: Advanced Part I (ECM)” by Krause; and
5. “Falcon 4 BMS Tutorials: Controls and Data Cartridge” by Krause;
6. “RECON TARGETING SCREEN QUESTION” on these forums; and
7. “Difference between TGT STPT, STPTs and WPN TGTs?” on these forums.My very shaky understanding of steerpoints as it refers to targeting is as follows:
Steerpoints show up as “STPT” in the HUD and DED. There are four or five Steerpoint (STPT) subcategories:
1. Navigational steerpoints #1-24 per flight;
2. Line steerpoints #31-50 per allies?;
3. Preplanned Threats #56-70 per allies?;
4. Target steerpoints #??;
5. Weapon target steerpoints (for Spice only)??.For the purposes of THIS discussion/clarification let’s call these subcategories navSTPT, linSTPT, PPTs, tgtSTPT, and wpnSTPT, respectively. I know at least some of these subcategories have different abbreviations (i.e. TGT STPT) but I want to clearly delineate my questions. If I were to use something like TGT STPT that may mean something very clear and specific to you, but to me it is very confusing and so please allow me to ask my questions in this way.
My shaky understanding of the Recon Screen then is that if I wanted to isolate a target at a navSTPT #6 area, I would:
(1) Select "Designate as Tgt Stpt # 6;
(2) select “STPTs” from the STPTs or WPN TGTs drop down list;
(3) click the “Targets” button;
(4) click on the name of the target from the list (i.e. “Square Pair” vs “SA-5”); and then finally;
(5) click the “Accept” button.This will make it so that my FCR in A-G:GM mode (and other slaved targeting avionics) automatically locks onto the "Square Pair"t at STPT 6 (assuming it has not moved). Also, this will appear as a “Target Steerpoint” in the DTC Screen. This does not create a STPT, what it does is it updates a navSTPT to also be a tgtSTPT (or if it was combined steerpoint already it would update it to be a nav-tgt-area-STPT to a nav-tgt-specific-STPT). In the Falcon community nav-tgt-area-STPTs and a nav-tgt-specific-STPTs both fall under the umbrella of TGT STPTs.
Also it is my understanding that I can do these designations for any allied aircraft (by joining the squadron and selecting the flight and aircraft). The AI in such allied aircraft will attempt to kill targets so designated. For a wingman, setting him or her weapons free should do the trick so long as he is not otherwise engaged. Without further actions, the updated targeting information (from one aircraft to the next) is not shared in flight.
Questions:
1. Say STPT # 6 is an SA-5 site that I have been tasked to destroy and I go in there and I pick the “Square Pair” then accidentally “Designate as STPT #1”?
2. What if I designate it as 25 or 99? Either way that would create a tgtSTPT not associated with any navSTPT, correct?
3. What are the consequences and considerations for selecting “STPTs” or “WPN TGTs” from the Recon Screen drop down menu as to say a Maverick vs Spice or classes of system say general purpose dumb bombs vs IAMs?
4. The -34 says “In order to simulate the pre-planned targets feed for the SPICE bombs, a new set of 100 special “weapon target” STPTs information was added to the UI and to the missions/callsign.ini files.” Are those completely separate from the navSTPTs, linSTPTS, PPTs, so now do we have 100 available STPTs and 100 Spice WPN STPTS for a total of 200?Any corrections, answers, questions or help of any kind in clearing this up for me would be much appreciated. Thanks.
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1- STPT #1 would then point to the coordinates of the Square Pair in question. You can clear the assigned target in recon by clicking the CLEAR button. STPT #1 's coordinates will return to the ones from the flight plan. You can clear all your assigned coordinates by clicking CLEAR ALL.
2- Yes, sort of. See note below.
3- If you can and do use the WPN TGT instead of the STPT, you will have more STPTs free for other things.
4- Yes. WPN TGTs are completely separate and you can’t use them as regular STPTs in the plane as far as I know.Note: The plane doesn’t really care which “subcategory” of STPT you are using. if you select that STPT # in flight, the plane’s FCR, etc, will point there. IE you can just as well use a PPT to navigate, a nav STPT to drop a weapon on, etc. The STPTs are neither created nor deleted. If a STPT is not touched, changed, it will have a default coordinate (something like 90N00E or so).
EDIT: Obviously though if you change a PPT or LINE STPT’s coords it will reflect in your HSD etc…
Cheers!
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1- STPT #1 would then point to the coordinates of the Square Pair in question…
Cheers!
Thanks for the clarifications this is really helpful!
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Hi All:
2. What if I designate it as 25 or 99? Either way that would create a tgtSTPT not associated with any navSTPT, correct?I believe that 25 special, and is assumed to be the bullseye when you enter the jet. I don’t think it would be a good idea to overwrite that one.
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I believe that 25 special, and is assumed to be the bullseye when you enter the jet. I don’t think it would be a good idea to overwrite that one.
Thanks. I setup a little TE and just used STPT 99 and that seems to be okay and I think I kinda like the idea of counting back from 99 to 71 for these target-only-steerpoints.
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in BMS, you can’t select STPT 25 as that is reserved for bullseye position.
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Target STPTs - You have 1-24 and also 81-99.
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