F-14 TARPS

[Boondoggle]

Hi,

 

Has the TARPS capability been touched on since it was announced?

 

I cant seem to find anything more about it??

 

Thanks for the help! :pilotfly:

[QuiGon]

Hi,

Has the TARPS capability been touched on since it was announced?

 

No

[Boondoggle]

Great :thumbup:

[IronMike]

It will come after the A and has a rather low priority as its use in DCS is fairly limited.

[Boondoggle]

Now that's a helpful answer!

 

What work around do you suggest for a recon type sortie?

[BonerCat]

Write down target coords from lantirn or just screenshot them

You could also use your Mk1 Eyeball

[IronMike]

The thing is TARPS would be really cool, if you could do something with the data you gathered, if the high res camera would benefit over a normal screenshot etc and if you then would find a follow up mission, say in a campaign or even dynamic campaign. I mean coming up with scenarios or recce missions for it is not that hard, but to what purpose? In the end you could then also fly over the target without a tarps and the result would be the same, if I set some trigger etc.. Those are some of the questions that come to mind with TARPS, and we have yet to see what all will be possible with it and how far we can take it. But in fact, it really is a camera and that's that.

[Harlikwin]

Some sort of "recon" capability in DCS would be really neat. Kind of what you guys have with the Viggen EW pod as an example. Generating possible targets and coordinates for them. Be super cool in multiplayer to show those ID'ed units on the F10 map for 1 side.

[IronMike]

Some sort of "recon" capability in DCS would be really neat. Kind of what you guys have with the Viggen EW pod as an example. Generating possible targets and coordinates for them. Be super cool in multiplayer to show those ID'ed units on the F10 map for 1 side.

 

 

Yeah, something like that, or "spawn missions" which process the tarps fotos to briefing pictures, etc... But that's core stuff and prolly nothing we'll be able to facilitate on our own.

[Harlikwin]

Yeah, something like that, or "spawn missions" which process the tarps fotos to briefing pictures, etc... But that's core stuff and prolly nothing we'll be able to facilitate on our own.

 

Yeah, but mention it to ED, I'm sure they listen to you guys more than lil ol me :)

[Harlikwin]

Yeah, something like that, or "spawn missions" which process the tarps fotos to briefing pictures, etc... But that's core stuff and prolly nothing we'll be able to facilitate on our own.

 

Yeah, but mention it to ED, I'm sure they listen to you guys more than lil ol me :)

 

Maybe something to add to the Dynamic Campaign thing they are doing.

[TLTeo]

Even without dynamic stuff, something like the Viggen's EW pod would be neat.

 

 

 

For example, you could land after a TARPS mission, and in the some folder you get a bunch of screenshots of whatever you photographed, as well as coordinates you could check ingame and/or with the Viggen app. My best guess is that the hardest thing to do in here is decide what is "relevant information" to be output at the end of the mission, and what isn't.

[LanceCriminal86]

Yeah, something like that, or "spawn missions" which process the tarps fotos to briefing pictures, etc... But that's core stuff and prolly nothing we'll be able to facilitate on our own.

 

IronMike, is it possible even just to have a function where if the "target" unit or coordinate is in the viewfinder of the TARPS cameras you can have a mission objective flag?

 

I guess the question is, did the TARPS pod provide live feed to the cockpit at all like a LANTIRN, or was it just an on/off trigger the RIO would engage when over the target?

 

If it's the latter (or I guess even the former) then perhaps the model to propose to ED is that TARPS is given its own viewpoint or at least the same framework as a LANTIRN, but tie a screenshot function into it, which it then drops into a folder. Then ED would need to find a way to have the DCS client be able to access and display those images in-game under the mission briefing window.

 

I figure you guys already have concepts as to how you'd like it to work and naturally ED is going to have to make moves to do it, I'm just spitballing. Maybe stage 1 is something that can just work for single player missions or campaigns to take screenshots from the TARPS pod's "view", and later as ED continues to work, a multiplayer function that can integrate with a live server is implemented. The Singleplayer one can still be used in MP for situations where a virtual squadron makes a new mission based off the success of each mission they do in a campaign, it just wouldn't work for live MP with dynamic missions until some additional integration is done.

[TLTeo]

Then ED would need to find a way to have the DCS client be able to access and display those images in-game under the mission briefing window.

 

 

You don't need that tbh. The Viggen ELINT data doesn't show up in briefings, but when I was flying the Red Flag campaign I found that looking at what my pod recorded between missions with the ELINT app was pretty useful to have an idea of what I would be up against next.

[LanceCriminal86]

I was adding that for servers that are running dynamic missions and/or had someone in a ZEUS type role, so you could have someone run a TARPS mission against an emplacement, airbase, objective, etc. and then assign a strike mission to players. Those players could then use or at least view the TARPS imagery for immersion and planning on what they need to bring along.

 

For non-dynamic mission servers or campaigns, as long as the images are put somewhere the engine can grab and pull them from that would be nice.

 

I figure this is the time to build the ideal case wishlist, and then we'll see how it pans out and what can even be done in the 2.x engine.

[statrekmike]

The big thing that concerns me is that if this is turned into some sort of dynamic multiplayer tool, it won't have a ton of utility outside of that specific kind of scenario. It would kinda make the pod useless for anyone in more isolated co-op groups or just those who favor doing single player and designing their own missions.

[Alicatt]

IronMike, is it possible even just to have a function where if the "target" unit or coordinate is in the viewfinder of the TARPS cameras you can have a mission objective flag?

 

I guess the question is, did the TARPS pod provide live feed to the cockpit at all like a LANTIRN, or was it just an on/off trigger the RIO would engage when over the target?

.

From what I have read the earlier film cameras did not have a "viewfinder" like display in the cockpit but that the later digital ones did have an image repeat on the TID

[LanceCriminal86]

You don't need that tbh. The Viggen ELINT data doesn't show up in briefings, but when I was flying the Red Flag campaign I found that looking at what my pod recorded between missions with the ELINT app was pretty useful to have an idea of what I would be up against next.

 

The big thing that concerns me is that if this is turned into some sort of dynamic multiplayer tool, it won't have a ton of utility outside of that specific kind of scenario. It would kinda make the pod useless for anyone in more isolated co-op groups or just those who favor doing single player and designing their own missions.

 

That's why I think we should have both functionalities, something that integrates into a dynamic campaign and scripted campaigns or even standalone missions, but also a tool that can take that output so it can be used in dynamic missions as well, online OR offline.

[MobiSev]

Some sort of "recon" capability in DCS would be really neat. Kind of what you guys have with the Viggen EW pod as an example. Generating possible targets and coordinates for them. Be super cool in multiplayer to show those ID'ed units on the F10 map for 1 side.

 

yeah, that would be really cool! Maybe it could work kind of like "line of sight" where your team (or at least the person in the tactical commander slot) could see the enemy unit icon on the map as long as you are looking at it with the TARPS pod.

Edited December 5, 2019 by MobiSev

[LanceCriminal86]

yeah, that would be really cool! Maybe it could work kind of like "line of sight" where your team (or at least the person in the tactical commander slot) could see the enemy unit icon on the map as long as you are looking at it with the TARPS pod.

 

If I understand the TARPS correctly, something more "realistic" maybe after the TARPS bird lands and completes its sortie, the units "seen" in the visible area of the TARPS pod while active could be marked on the F10 map. You wouldn't want anything but static objects to be "live" icons because fog of war. You could probably simulate that right now with just scripts having an aircraft flyover a certain narrow zone over a target, and then just leave icons that classify the ground targets only after the recon bird has landed and then a timer. Obviously the cooler and more immersive way is tie actual screenshots in and have the data also populate to the F10 map or briefing screen, or even kneeboard.

[Alicatt]

The TCS can be used to help identify targets when switched to radar it will be slaved to the reconnaissance target line of sight.

There are a few more steps to it than that but looks like you can use the TCS to see the target waypoint selected.

 

The images from the Digital Imaging system can be stored locally and /or transmitted back to base.

I used also Pullnix cameras in my line of work and they were very good :)

 

HUD symbology is similar to what is used for steering cues for dropping bombs.

 

Some pics of the sensors from the later TARPS-CD:

https://bobtourville.blogspot.com/2016_03_01_archive.html

[Tomcatter87]

Since our community has so many talented modders: has someone thought of creating a TARPs mod? I'm imagining a non-functional external payload with the correct weight and looks. So we can at least pretend flying a recon mission - or provide escort for a cat with the "TURD" attached. Excuse my language, that's how some pilots called it. 
Since there was a mod for the F-16 centerline tank and ECM pod, maybe that's possible?

[Southernbear]

I mean what you could do if your ok with the images being in FLIR is use the LANTIRN pod as a TARPS stand in?

[Skarp]

It’s a camera yes , but I assume those pictures get analyzed by specialists. I’m sure you get circles , what it is, and grids on the photo. Multiplayer this is a big deal. If I was able to fly over an enemy base and take photos. Land and pull out my screenshot folder and see ground units circled and grids displayed. Big big win 

[BonerCat]

On 1/19/2021 at 6:52 AM, Skarp said:

It’s a camera yes , but I assume those pictures get analyzed by specialists. I’m sure you get circles , what it is, and grids on the photo. Multiplayer this is a big deal. If I was able to fly over an enemy base and take photos. Land and pull out my screenshot folder and see ground units circled and grids displayed. Big big win 

Could be very very OP at finding hidden units, but having to overfly the area would make it an interesting dynamic