I cannot speak for all of the targeting imagery. Particularly the long vertical line bisecting the triangles and how they are stacked (multiple targets identified in one AO.) But I can speak to the triangles. Triangular target markers are a visual reference to the pilot or weapon system operators (WiSO’s) giving him a confirmation his pod is operating in triangulation mode. The attacking jet, be it a B1-B or one of several fighter/attack jets is reference #1. The R1 Jet carry’s the weapons and uses one of three of its own targeting methods to hand off to the targeting computer.
Then there is reference point #2. The #2 reference will be a JSTARS or one of many similar platforms that are capable of side scan radar. The Pave Mover system was common in my time. That orbiting jet has a GMTI Overlaid of the entire area with GPS coordinates accurate to a meter or less. The bombing aircraft will receive a complete R2 targeting packet via telemetry Com’s and shove it in the targeting computer along with the R1 reference. The two aircraft do a data handshake and stay connected until the attacking aircraft egresses.
The third reference is from a Dedicated Targeting Satellite (DTS)... I don’t feel particularly comfortable talking about that because I have no idea where the “Secret Bar” is set on that subject. Suffice to say the attacking aircraft also does a handshake with the space bird and the targeting data is jacked in with R1 & R2 data. It is balls accurate. The satellite =R3. With all three “R’s” cooking, accuracy is measured inside a meter. Drop off an “R point” and it goes to 4-7 meters. Drop off two “R’s” and your back to the Persian Gulf War accuracy level of 10-15 meters.
It is very likely that Tyler’s assumption about this being a B1-B attack is correct. A smaller jet would have flown a higher angle of attack somewhere between 65 to 75 degrees to target. What I see in that video is a 45 to 55 Degree angle. It’s just how the jets targeting system work. It isn’t written in stone and it can be modified to fit the mission. There is an optimum angle of attack to release ordinance from every bird. And they are all different. As I said before, the long vertical lines and one or two other differences I can see, I’m unfamiliar with. Never forget all these DOD video’s go through a post-production edit. The DOD can add or subtract anything off that video they choose. The lines may just be a Red Herring... Then again they may have significance.
This sort of accuracy is game changing. Not only does it cut down on how many assets must go in harm’s way. It also cuts down the amount of ordinance that must be expended. In 1944 the United States Army Air Corps would have needed to send a 300 plane B-17 or a 200 plane B-24 mission over those targets to be 100% certain that it was utterly destroyed. It would have cost as many as 20 aircraft with 10 guys aboard each Bomber. That is 200 men dead or captured for one lousy ass target. To me that is the sort of weaponry that REALLY matters.
I should also note that this sort of system is nearly identical (except one is airborne and one is terra) to the way F-22’s and the F-35 will engage other aircraft. Once the triangulation handshakes are established, there’s no fucking where to run. And the worst part for an enemy plane is they will never even know the jets were there to begin with. They’ll get about 30 seconds of jamming signal growler tone) from a F-18 Growler or similar bird, and try to break, but multiple assets have already locked on and getting away clean would be a nice trick albeit a temporary one. Since the second salvo fired from birds from a different vector lights their ass up.
So many folks just don’ have any idea how unfair it really has become. They just want to point to one staged dogfight between an F-16 and an F-35 done in a vacuum. It was saddled with rock solid parameters, a hard deck and aircraft separation rules in place. It’s sad the grip media and gossip have on people. But it is great for the F-35. Hopefully our enemies will think it’s a piece of shit also. But I doubt it...... They know better. Even if so many of us don’t.