I think is a fair request. It simulates the presence on board of a targeting pod.

I don't know why this is downvoted, apart from freefall and TV guided weapons, most guided weapons are laser guided. This would make JTAC more of an asset.

Yeah, I would like to know that person's thought process as to why he thinks it is a bad idea. Would be nice to put the gatling gun on the A10 to better use instead of using the 'spray and pray' tactic.

it's also too hard to see a laser from the air
the radar only shows a red square, so you can't tell the laser target apart from any old vehicle.

And we have no TGP or functioning MFDs on any aircraft (well, maybe the Wildcat, but it has no laser designator) to strike from long ranges.

If there is no TGP present on the aircraft, why would behave as if it had one ? Why would you be able to lock onto a target if your aircraft is not equipped with systems to do so ?

"apart from freefall and TV guided weapons, most guided weapons are laser guided"
AGM65 mavericks ? heat seeking.
JDAM ? GPS Guided.

So yeah, let's take the most successful CAS aircraft : the A 10. Appart from GBUs, no freaking laser guided weapons, ever.

If you have a JTAC, just communicate with him !

AGM-65D and G mavericks *do* use thermal cameras, but others use Electro-optical sensors. IR or not, they still work a little differently than say, an AIM-9X or something.

But yes, JDAM is GPS guided. But the key word was "most," not all. And in arma there are not yet JDAMs.

@ archimaede

The A10 has been fitted with targeting pods for years IRL. Considering the game takes place in the 2030's, it is perfectly plausible to expect targeting pods on all the attack aircraft in game.

I am only suggesting to be able to see where the laser is being pointed (in the absence of a PIP monitor in the cockpit)so that you can effectively engage targets on the ground. Why should I have to rely on my JTAC giving me a full description of the laytout of the land in relation to where the targets are, especially when thay might be constantly moving about, when I can just resort to observing exactly where the JTAC is pointing his laser.

I am not requesting that my unguided rockets and 30mm gatling rounds suddenly and magically become laser guided!

"The A10 has been fitted with targeting pods for years IRL. Considering the game takes place in the 2030's, it is perfectly plausible to expect targeting pods on all the attack aircraft in game."

No, if there is no TGP visible on the model, why have the aicraft behave as if it had one ?
It's the same as saying "The A-10 IRL can be fitted with 15 mk82, but the Arma 3 model only shows 4, but I want the game to behave as if I had 15 MK82 since that's possible IRL".
If the vehicle in game is not fitted for it, don't make it behave as if it was. Period.

You can probably have a feature like that with an addon. Don't make it for the vanilla game.

"No, if there is no TGP visible on the model, why have the aircraft behave as if it had one?"

Because it's fun.
Because it makes for more engaging game play.
Because it would make the person using the designator more useful.
Because the person using the laser designator would have more presence on the battlefield.
because, because, because...

If you are that anal about detail, I could edit my post to include the line "Make sure you change the models to include visible targeting pods".

In fact whilst I am at it, I will also ask if the devs can change the inventory animations as this in not realistic enough and we should endure several seconds wait whilst the player model removes the daysack from his back, unclips the buckles, opens the drawstrings,and rummages about inside, moving his Snickers bars and dirty laundry out the way so he can find that torch attachment he 'was sure he had packed in there before he left the FOB'.

Agreed maskedkhan. Great suggestion. It can be very frustrating when you have guys on the ground painting targets for you which then disappear should I want to engage infantry with cannon. ARMA's combat aircraft really don't have the versatility that they should do as an air support asset for ground troops.

1. A visible laser target for an A-10 gatling gun run would be spectacular!!

2. Laser guided bombs (GBUs) do NOT hit the [laser] target in multiplayer.

Yes, the pilot can detect a gamer player's laser designator, but GBU bombs don't hit the target, unless the PILOT just happens to line the bomb up correctly, as if it was a free fall (un-guided bomb).

3. The AGM-65 missiles CAN lock onto a gamer's laser designator, and the missile properly hits the [laser] target. But in multiplayer, laser guided bombs do not correctly guide to the laser target. I have no idea why.

What about having back something like Mando Missile suite script included in vanilla?

Hello and thanks for the feedback!

The devices used for guided weaponry target designation (impulses coded in accordance with the ordnance) are often SWIR and are generally not visible in NVGs. (yes, there is a little visible dot our LD creates - that could be considered as a bug)

For a visual target designation, lasers with shorter wavelenght, visible in NV are used ( IZLID http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgvuGFaT7Qw ).
I find our weapon-mounted lasers quite fitting for this purpose - what do you think?

hey oukej
I agree that the weapon mounted lasers would work for this purpose to some extent; I am sure that it would work great for shorter range pointing to direct MRAP/Armor fire, and maybe helicopters such as the Pawnee (since they fly quite close), but I feel like it would be difficult to see from high up (Gunship/Fixed Wing). Perhaps a more powerful NV-spectrum laser could come somewhere down the road in a future DLC or something? It would also be nice to have the vehicle-mounted IR strobe (marking the friendly end of the laser), which we don't have currently.

@oujek

Are you suggesting using NV goggles whilst a coop player lases a target from his weapon mounted laser as a fix for this issue? This is all well and good and a nice feature during darkness hours but I want to be able to view the laser marker targeting box during the day too!!!

I am confused as to why my feedback issue suddenly become night vision related?

To confirm my original issue:

When I have bombs selected in the aircraft (both night and day) and a member of my team is lasing a target and I am locked onto it, at no point do I have don NV goggles to see this targeting box it just appears because I have LGB's selected. I propose being able to see this target box when ANY weapon system on the aircraft is selected.

Thank you for the acknowledgement.

@Demongod - good suggestions. The IR strobes may fit in http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=5947 , configurable laser intensity taken into consideration (however I find current lasers relatively strong enough even for fast moving CAS)

@maskedkhan - I am sorry for the confusion. The locking as it is now isn't something we are completely satisfied with and I would generally like to avoid patching up functionality on it until we are able to revise the tech.

Currently it combines two factors - a meta-game awareness helper and an actual part of weapon guidance. The first one works only on lower difficulties (named not so descriptive as "Auto Guide AT").
I guess that is where you'd like the laser targets to be included in the possible target selection, right?

Yes, I do agree. Nothing to do with NVG. I think it has to be done for all armament as a reference for aiming but if You use laser guided bomb/missile it has to work as it has been designed to be.

@oukej

Sorry but I am a bit confused as to what you meant and I still don't think we are talking about the same thing!!

As you are aware, when playing in multiplayer and a coop player is looking through his laser designator and has the laser 'active', I will see on my plane's radar that a red square has appeared. I then have to 'lock' that laser designation (by pressing tab on the keyboard) so that I can then see a box on my screen labelled 'laser targeting device'. See above attached image.

I have noted that I can only 'lock' this laser designation when I have BOMBS selected.

All I want is the ability to press the Tab key on my keyboard (or any other that is assigned as 'next target') when using ANY of the aircraft's weapon systems when someone’s laser is active, so I can have the ability to see the 'laser targeting device' box mentioned above.

This would make it easier as the guy using the laser designator would be able to 'lase' say, mobile infantry and the pilot would be able to use his cannons on the exact point his coop buddy is looking at on his screen.

yes, I know these comments have gone a bit off topic but they are also making good points.

But I agree. It is very important that all laser guided weapons be able to lock the laser designator. In fact, some weapons should not be able to lock unless a laser is painting the target (the weapon would perhaps be SACLOS without lock so that it isn't useless :P)

I am not necessarily talking about the actual weapons being able to lock the target designator. I just mean it would be nice if the PILOT can lock the laser designator (as if viewing a screen in the cockpit)just so he can see where the JTAC's point of aim is.

This way he can move in with the cannon/unguided rockets and hit what the JTAC is pointing at.

Haha, I feel for you maskedkhan, people are running away a little bit with your request, but in the end it is clear: independent of what weapon you have selected, you would like to see (day or night) the lased target position of a friendly laser designator.

If you want to drop a laser guided bomb on this position or kamikaze your aircraft on the target is irrelevant in the discussion. Although I can understand that others want to add suggestions.

I like your suggestion of seeing the 'laser targeting device' box independent of weapon selection.

@joostSidy

Wow! Finally, someone understands what I am proposing! I thought I had suddenly developed the ability to type Swahili whenever I put my fingers to the keyboard. Thanks buddy, your comment helps support my proposal.