Battle Damage Assessment

Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) is the act of visually inspecting a target (usu. a vehicle or an enemy defensive position) to determine its condition after being attacked by friendly forces. BDA is typically conducted after an attack by Aircraft, who cannot always maintain a clear line of sight to a target after attacking it, after an Anti-Tank Launcher hit, or after an Artillery strike.

The Radio call to perform a BDA is typically issued by either the attacking unit or Command. The attacking unit may want to know whether they need to make an additional attack to destroy/neutralize the target, whereas Command would want to know whether the target has been dealt with and can be taken out of tactical considerations.

Aircraft - and particularly Scout Helicopters - are typically good for performing BDA on targets that are some distance away from any friendly Ground unit. Alternatively, ground units with Binoculars may be able to inspect the target from a distance if they have a good line of sight. If neither of these is available, any friendly ground unit that is very close to the target may be able to perform the BDA.

Calling for BDA
BDA may be called after an attack has been made on an enemy asset or position from a distance. If the target is attacked up-close, the attackers are likely to provide their assessment immediately since they can see the target clearly, requiring no guesswork or observation.

Attacks requiring BDA may include runs by Aircraft, Artillery shelling, or even long-range Anti-Tank Launcher hits.

Though any unit may theoretically call for BDA of any target, the most common callers would be one of the following:


 * 1) Command may call for a BDA to determine the status of an attacked enemy asset or position for their tactical considerations. Knowing that an enemy asset has been knocked out (or otherwise) can seriously impact the need to relocate forces to handle that asset.
 * 2) Aircraft may call for a BDA on a target they'd just attacked, to determine whether that target needs to be attacked again. Aircraft often travel too quickly to maintain good line of sight to a target they just attacked, requiring other aircraft or ground assets to observe the target for them after the attack. Naturally, this only applies to CAS targets, since Interdiction typically takes place far away from other friendly units who might be able to observe the target. Furthermore, many Attack Helicopters have their own Magnified Optics and may be able to observe their own targets with great accuracy even after flying past it. The faster this is performed, the less time the aircraft needs to loiter in the area instead of continuing in its current Tasking.
 * 3) Artillery expects a BDA after every salvo, as part of the general report from any available Forward Observer about the accuracy of their shells. This assumes the artillery hits at all, otherwise only an accuracy report is submitted in order to adjust fire. The faster BDA can be submitted, the faster the Artillery can re-attack the target if necessary.
 * 4) Light Anti-Tank Launchers are typically single-use, meaning that a quick BDA is needed to determine whether another AT Rifleman needs to move into position and/or fire a rocket at the same target. This is less important for MAT and HAT, since they can typically see the target better than anybody else thanks to Magnified Optics on the weapon. If the MAT/HAT gunner has lost sight of the target for any reason, they may still ask for a BDA from other units in order to determine whether to re-establish contact with the target.

Who Provides BDA
There are multiple ways to observe a target for BDA, but the most common BDAs are provided by the following:


 * Scout Helicopters: Scout Helicopters are fitted with powerful Magnified Optics, allowing them to zoom in on the target to make a variety of determinations, even if the helicopter is very far above the ground at the time. This only provides a good assessment if the helicopter has a good line of sight on the target, and especially if the target is not a building (in which case the helicopter may not be able to assess damage at all). Any Helicopter with similar optics, or at least a good line of sight, may be able to provide an accurate BDA.
 * Binoculars: With powerful binoculars and proper line-of-sight, any ground units may be able to provide BDA themselves. Of course, it is much more difficult to gain line-of-sight to a target from the ground if the terrain or other obstacles are in the way. If line of sight is available, however, BDA from the ground is typically quite accurate. Note that BDA with binoculars is particularly effective at determining damage to EI inside buildings. All Fireteam Leaders, Squad Leaders and higher commanders have binoculars, and several heavy weapons (such as MAT, HAT, and vehicle weapons) are fitted with powerful optics as well.
 * Naked Eyes: If the target is close enough to a ground unit, the unit may be able to provide immediate BDA just by looking at the target. Any unit with line of sight to a nearby target can - and will - provide this type of BDA, and will typically give the most accurate assessment.

BDA of Defensive Positions
BDA is sometimes requested after air/Artillery strikes against fortifications and other defensive positions occupied by enemy Infantry. The assessment is usually done by ground troops using Binoculars, particularly from the direction of a planned Assault on that position - making sure that the enemies watching in their direction have been killed or at least diminished.

Of particular importance is the status of any Static Weapons, such as Heavy Machine Guns and Field Guns, or entrenched Vehicles. The more can be disabled or destroyed, the less threat to the friendly Assaulting force that is soon to follow.

BDA on enemy defensive positions is often inconclusive. Enemy Infantry may still be hiding within that position and cannot be seen from a distance. Since many defensive positions are covered from the air, such as by roofs or by Netting, aircraft may have a more difficult time examining them after the attack.

BDA of Vehicles
When reporting BDA on an attacked vehicle, the reporting unit determines the target's condition according to the following list: