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Old 25th Apr 2022, 19:55
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Lonewolf_50
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Texas
Age: 64
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FWIW, maritime / carrier wise:
The F8 Crusader became the RF-8 (slick) unarmed recce bird in the USN. (VFP-63 is the last squadron I recall having it)
The RF-4 IIRC (memory hazy) had a photo capability.
F-14 Tomcat in its later years had something similar. (TARPS was but one add on, but then, so was ground attack! )
All of the above are/were USN aircraft.

More recently, there is some interesting imagery that current fighter aircraft can provide to the ISR team using their targeting pods. The F-16's did some very nice "non Traditional ISR" over Iraq during OIF. (But I am going back nearly two decades in recalling that).

Other 'pods' attached to an aircraft would, I expect, blur the distinction you seem to be referring to as the years have gone by.
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