How does the laser designator work?

[MadsHilde 10]

Well, I have the designator equipped and looking through it. When I left click a red dot appears and when I click again it disappears. How do I actually mark a target so that my fighters in the sky can bomb the target?

[icebreakr 3157]

As you said, when you click the red dot appears and the target can then appear on your co-soldier's HUD in a chopper or a plane. Then can select the target and drop GBU or a hellfire missile directly into that target. At least thats how it works in A1.

[Simon C 0]

The red dot is marking the target. If you keep that red dot on the target, then a fighter should generally drop a bomb on it, if it's AI controlled.

[ajsarge 10]

Perfectly said. Also note: The laser designator ONLY gives pilots something to lock onto with GBUs or helfires. It DOES NOT call in an airstrike. Even on missions with CAS as a support, you have to call it in first and then designate the target for your fighters to drop their bombs. And sometimes, the dot isn't red, but Infra-red (as in RL). You can only see it through your NVGs. So just trust that you turned it on sometimes.

Also of note: If you move the laser, the bomb follows. Useful for hitting moving tanks. Just don't move it too far or to somewhere that the bomb won't be able to see.

[MadsHilde 10]

Ahh, thanks guys...I thought I had to press some button. But it is simply enough to just hold the laser pointer over the target untill the bombs lands. Thanks

[horror1 10]

exactly thats how it works.

note dont forget to click again after bombing or the plane will target the point of the laser in its next run and this can be urself :)

easy way to test lasing is put a enemy tank in editor a plane with lgb and urself with laser.

than simple point the laser to the tank and wait:)

[galzohar 31]

The (in-game, not IRL) dot is always red. It's just that if the target is too far the dot becomes "too small" and thus "invisible" to you.

[Dallas 9]

Aircrafts armed with hellfires or GBUs consider the laser marker a hostile radar contact. They'll continue to engage the marker untill you turn it off or they run out of ammo.

[frederf 0]

The "behind the scenes" goings on is that the laserDesignator weapon spawns a laserTarget object at the end of its vector. There are 4 such targets, one for each of the 4 factions of ArmA2 (blufor, redfor, resistence, and civilian).

These targets can only be detected by vehicles that have laserScanner=true in the Vehicle config and locked by weapons that have laserLock=true in the Weapon config (or is it Ammo config?). So it is possible to see a laser target without actually having laser-lock weapons and vice versa.

[manberries 0]

This is a tab bit off topic but i wonder if i can write a script using a contantly updated virtual laser target and set a tank to laserScanner=true to get a m1a2 to shoot another tank from extremely far. Anyone have suggestions?

[Tennouheika 10]

How would I attach a lasertarget to, say, an enemy tank?

I tried naming the tank t1

lasertarget attachto [t1,[0,0,1]];

Tried lasertarget, lasertargetwbase, lasertargetw, etc.

?

[Tennouheika 10]

Or is there a better way to mark targets for an airstrike...?

[manberries 0]

Ya don't do that, was just an idea i had regarding other weapons. The getpos set pos command is what your looking for.

[frederf 0]

Nonsense attachTo is superior to setPos when it comes to placing one thing along with another thing.

[Tennouheika 10]

Well.. is there a way to place a lasertarget on an object?

How would I get an airplane to just come in and bomb a specific building without me marking it with my own laserdesignator?

[JonasRC 10]

you could put something on the building and have the plane bomb that object. Like a invisible H or something. Not sure if it would work.

[frederf 0]

Well.. is there a way to place a lasertarget on an object?

How would I get an airplane to just come in and bomb a specific building without me marking it with my own laserdesignator?

Well first you have to be clear with what you mean by "plane." Not all planes require or even recognize laser targets. You can drop F-35B "Mk82" (really GBU-32) bombs all day on simple IR targets.

There's several ways to bomb a building. It might work to just have a scripted target of the object of that objectID if it's a built in building or the building name if it's editor-placed. However, the laserTarget method should work fine and I have more confidence that will work so let's explore that:

1. Create the laserTarget object with a command like camCreate, giving it a name and initial position.

2. Attach the laserTarget to the desired target making sure to get it in the proper position relative to the target model center [0,0,0] might not be good enough.

3. Reveal the target's existence to the shooter so it knowsAbout it.

4. Set the target, by name, as the current target for the shooter.

That should work.

[ICE-Raver 10]

I played a game last night where pilots in an a10 kept circling eh battle asking for people to laser targets.

I got a designator from the ammo crate but it wouldn't let me equip it.

It showed in my gear and everything and that was it.

[ripper998 0]

I played a game last night where pilots in an a10 kept circling eh battle asking for people to laser targets.

I got a designator from the ammo crate but it wouldn't let me equip it.

It showed in my gear and everything and that was it.

You have to have a laser designator battery as well. Its a red square ammo item in the crates. Thats what allows you to select it.

[Recnelis2 10]

Yup you need a battery.

[manberries 0]

I wonder if the laser target has to be outside of the center of the model. Can the laser target be seen through vehicles?

[Soliex 10]

I have a question thats related to using the laser designator.

I play alot of multiplayer on a coop server.

I have been having issues with knowing exactly when and how high to drop the GBU while being locked onto a target.

I usually drop the bomb when the circle encloses the square on the HUD, however more times than not the bomb misses.. The laser designator is still being locked onto the target.

When exactly is it that I want to release the bomb to have it hit the target?

Thanks.

[frederf 0]

The technical answer is "release the bomb when within the energy-maneuver envelope of the weapon." When the lock circle fades in is a pretty good indication if you are 500-1000m and 250-500kmph.

[manberries 0]

To simplify your question extremely, the higher the better (up to 1000m for some reason any higher and it goes bonkers) and the release time depends on your speed. If your going fast release it earlier, if your going slower release it later.

[JDog 11]

Alright I need some help here. I can't get a LaserTarget object created. I keep flying around looking for it but it wont appear, anything in particular I gotta do?

I got this:

_laze = "LaserTarget" createVehicle getPos T1;
jet reveal _laze;
jet doTarget _laze;
jet doWatch _laze;

I can't get the lazed target to appear on my HUD to lock onto it :( Am I creating it incorrectly? I know the thing is called "LaserTarget" cuz it says so in the CfgVehicles list.