Low altitude camera
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I was creating a TE mission (just for navigating & bombing) and found the low altitude camera in the loadout section. The only reference is made in the Dash 1 at the MFD-section (1.4.14 RCCE page, p. 96), that even the camera isn’t using this system.
Is the camera in some way working, e.g. for reconnaissance missions (like in Thirteen Days) or just at the moment an unusable “eye candy”?
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Good question indeed. There Would be any tactical advantage using it in BMS campaigns?
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So…I’d have to ask “what would be the point?” Do the Campaigns actually frag RECCE missions, and then use the pictures/videos obtained to determine future missions, tasking, targets, weapons assignments, and priorities? If so that would be fantastic…but I’m thinking not. So…eye candy, IMO.
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Well i just started a campaign and it did have a patrol flight i could have taken but didnt.
It was a low altitude flight over water with the camera.
Kto campaign,rolling fire.Edit…whether it matters,dont know but theyre are flights .
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That’s encouraging, but I still think there is far too much of a human element involved in RECCE for BMS to actually be making active use of RECCE information…let alone I can’t even see how that information would be handed off. Again, if the AI in BMS is that advanced…I’ll be seriously impressed!
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The low altitude camera and the RECCE POD (only found on BAF MLU, I believe) are only eye candy, unfortunately.
IRL, what they do (AFAIK) is that when you press the “release” button, the camera will make several pictures of the area you’re flying over. These pictures are stored in the camera’s memory, offloaded after landing and shipped to intelligence services who will develop and analyse the footage. In BMS, the pod doesn’t take photos or store data, so at best, your RECCE patrol will temporarily add intel on the 2D map.That said, these days, the low altitude camera and RECCE pod has been replaced by the NTISR (non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, recon) capabilities of targeting pods like the Sniper, which is safer (more stand-off range, no longer requiring overflying the area), more versatile (not dependant on aircraft orientation or movement during operation, direct feedback to the pilot of what he’s aiming at) and probably has better camera options (resolution, spectral imaging, zoom levels, …)
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The main problem is the luck of public info…
AFAIK, the DB-110 recce pod is the standard and most powerful recce pod these days among Vipers fleet, and the avionics/functionality within cockpit is far away advanced and complex than any of the rest MFD/avionics modes the bms user has experienced.
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Yes it was a “Patrol” mission in the campaign, single ship.
Objective is to snap photos at the steerpoint at the target area, and it works! I got a “mission successful” -
does it actually matter or effect the campaign, no clue.
but it is a different type of mission to fly, even it it dosent matter. still fun.
especially if the ships launch on you during low level recon. -
It’s the only mission type in a campaign where you go in alone, no wingman, no package, nothing.
Just you and your viper… -
In real the recce aircraft or recce-pod equipped aircraft is considered a high value asset so it will have some strong escort.
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You’d think that, but as pointed out below the RECCE mission is usually performed by no more than two jets in order to not alert the ground that you are there. You go alone, unafraid, and fast, snap your pics, and get out…as fast as possible.
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Since the 2D map is updated with more intel on red ground troops when blue aircraft are in the vicinity of some area, I would be surprised if your recon mission did not do something similar. Not only for the area where the pictures are taken, but also for things that you pass
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Depends on just what BMS does. In general there are two reasons to do straight RECCE - 1) threat assessment pre-strike, and 2) damage assessment post strike. In these cases the jet may be armed for self defense, but in general it’s kept light for speed/range/endurance and effective radius to a specific objective. RECCE is another case where you don’t go looking for a fight - your mission is to take your pictures and avoid all conflict. As unobserved as possible.
What you’re thinking of is more in line with SCAR - Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance - or what I’ve also heard of as Armed Reconnaissance…which can be thought of as having some things in common with CAS as far as “on call” may go, but is still a distinct mission objective of it’s own. For these missions the jets involved may be more aggressively armed, and cleared to engage if opportune - but they won’t be equipped with cameras or any specific “RECCE” gear and the crew will be tasked with making direct observations.
In any event, the number of jets fragged for any of the given mission objectives will depend on how they are equipped and how much area they need to cover. How/if BMS actually does any of this is anyone’s guess.
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Thanks a lot for your answers guys!
You confirm my first assumption that the low alt camera has no real function - maybe cause we have better intelligence & reconnaissance in the mission editor when using the ‘recon’ modus for targets with exact coordinates and other informations.
Would be a nice thing for the gameplay even if it is not necessary. Maybe in the future. -
…if you’ve never seen one before (and I certainly haven’t), I assume this is the hunk of gear we’re talking about?
Crazy, but not totally unexpected. I guess…