I've done few more experiments. It looks like the weapons and magazines have to be added AFTER you connect your terminal to the UAV. If you do it before, the weapons do not appear and unusable. I bet this is the reason why they are not usable by default as they get added before player is connected.

It is either the actual player connecting resets the weapons or there is some bug with adding them to unconnected UAV in the first place.

EDIT: This ^^^^ is only relevant when jumping in UAV as gunner

Also while uav setVehicleAmmo 1 correctly replenishes ammo (provided weapons are added and usable) uav setVehicleAmmoDef 1 removes (?) all weapons and ammo. It does however restore the visual look of loaded UAV (full rocket pods) despite emptying weaponry. setVehicleAmmoDef 1 works ok with other vehicles.

EDIT: This ^^^ only happens when either operating UAV Turret or in driver seat with manual fire enabled!

I don't know if this is intended but you can also connect to and operate a UAV while inside a vehicle, like sitting in a tank.

Skalpel explosions are silent.

Ok narrowed this weird behaviour down to inverted manual fire.

Driver by default has the use of skalpel rockets. In fact if joining UAV as driver, it seem the rockets are available despite weapons and magazines command not showing it.

Driver can use rockets and countermeasure. However is driver enables "Manual Fire" then he can no longer use rockets and get option for using laserdesignator which obviously doesn't work in driver view. Countermeasure still works.

Gunner only has the use of laserdesignator by default. If skalpel rockets are force added afterwards then gunner can use them and guide them.

It is quite a mess even to figure out what is going on.

I have noticed this in my attempts to change the default (terrible) UAV functionality.

I would also like to mention that the UAV turret will never aim at an enemy unit unless directly controlled by the player. I would wager that this has something to do with the "turret locking" mechanic where the turret attempts to stabilize and remain aimed at a specific point when you do not move it. This functionality is poor and should be removed, as it is near impossible to "lock" the turret and keep it aimed at the position that you intend due to the delay between when you stop moving the mouse and when the turret actually "locks" onto the target location.

I would trade the current turret aim locking functionality for an AI that actually aims at enemy targets any day, as this could be used for PIP displays and allow the AI to designate targets with the laser (with some scripting help.)

Just give the turret operator control of the designator & ATGMs, and leave the flares & flying to the pilot. Exactly the same as an attack helicopter with an AI pilot. If the pilot (for whatever reason) wants to use the missiles, just have manual fire, exactly like in the attack helicopters.

There were made some changes in the UAV system. I was able to reproduce that not working script command "removeAllWeapons", but it seems that this command is not working with any vehicle. Other issues seem to be fixed. I am just not absolutely sure if I have not missed something (there is more issues in this ticket). Could you please check it and let me know if there is still something which needs to be fixed? Thanks!

@DarkDruid Weapons return all weapons and magazines return all magazines, so this part is fixed. removeallweapons, you're right it is broken for all vehicles, not sure what are you going to do about it.

For the rest I am confused as to what is the intended operation of UAV from driver or gunner position, especially ManualFire option for driver. The rockets and laserdesignator are available to the driver no matter what, what exactly Manual Fire suppose to do?

I will create a report in our internal system for that removeAllWeapons issue, it needs to be fixed by an engine programmer.

ManualFire is working consistent with other vehicles. Driver is commander of vehicle in this case and gunner AI is shooting when it is ordered to shoot. You can't see/hear any message, because radio protocol is disabled for AIs in UAVs. But I must admit that current situation is really confusing, we will definitely look at it. Anyway, I would recommend to create a new ticket for this issue and close this one. It is better to have separated ticket for every bug. Thanks

RE: removeAllWeapons, removeWeapon (single weapon) works so I doubt it is something major.

RE: Manual Fire. I'd make a ticket, but I don't know how to solve it and afraid that solution may affect current UAV functionality and break some user content made around existing functionality.

Has been fixed for awhile, apart from removeallweapons, but this is different matter for different ticket.