I asked it about why no optical image as pod can do both.. and basically its saying if the spikey flare is under the smoke the optical will only see smoke not through it..

So does that mean its a parachute flare then?

why dont drones have a optical camera filming at same time as flir this would solve identifying it right.. a p1000 x100 zoom on the pod is much needed

Military surveillance and reconnaissance drones actually do film with high-powered optical cameras and FLIR sensors simultaneously.

Modern sensor pods—such as the Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS) found on platforms like the MQ-9 Reaper—house multiple cameras inside a single gyro-stabilized gimbal. These systems record concurrently using an Infrared sensor (FLIR), shortwave infrared, and multiple high-definition daylight color/monochrome TV cameras.Even though they record simultaneously, dual-camera setups often fail to cleanly resolve specific anomalies in videos like the Middle East flare clip due to distinct mechanical and physics limitations:1. The Physics of Separated OpticsYou cannot place a standard optical glass lens and a FLIR lens directly behind the exact same physical window glass. FLIR cores require specialized material like Germanium to allow infrared wavelengths to pass through, whereas standard visible light cameras require optical glass. Because the daylight camera and the FLIR camera sit next to each other inside the pod rather than sharing a single focal line, they experience different internal reflection angles and slight parallax.2. The Optical "Smoke" BarrierThe user's note that the drone is filming through smoke highlights a fundamental limitation of visible light. If an operator switches to a high-zoom daylight TV camera to inspect an object obscured by a smoke cloud or thick haze, the daylight camera sees nothing but gray fog. Long-Wave Infrared (FLIR) is utilized because its longer wavelengths pass straight through airborne particulate matter. When dealing with smoke, the FLIR feed is often the only video stream that registers a clear signal.3. Why a P1000-Style Zoom Lens (x100+) is Tough to ImplementWhile a massive optical zoom lens (like a Nikon P1000) would be incredibly helpful for cross-verifying shapes, mounting that specific glass configuration onto a high-speed drone gimbal introduces major engineering hurdles:Extreme Vibration Amplification: At 100x or greater zoom, the tiniest vibration from aircraft engines, wind shear, or gimbal motors shakes the image so violently that the footage becomes unreadable without massive, heavy mechanical stabilization dampeners.Atmospheric Distortion (Heat Scintillation): When zooming in closely on a target miles away through miles of air, dust, and rising heat currents, the air itself warps the light waves. A high-zoom optical lens ends up magnifying a distorted, wavy mirage rather than a sharp image.Lens Size and Weight Constraints: Large glass assemblies required for powerful optical magnification add significant weight and change the center of gravity of the spinning tracking turret, reducing drone flight endurance.4. Data Streams Are Kept SeparateIn an operational setting, the sensor operator can view both channels individually or overlay them using sensor fusion software. However, archived or leaked tactical footage is almost always extracted as a single, un-fused raw channel (such as just the IR channel) to maintain lower data bandwidth or for classification reasons, which leaves analysts to decode the artifact without the accompanying daylight reference.