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.