BF has always been about a certain level of realism. But don't confuse that with a sim like experience. The BF series is to warfare what Forza is to games like iRacing or rFactor.
No one is saying BF is realistic, but it strives for authenticity in many aspects of the game. With this game, it will again strive to a certain level of authenticity, but clearly they are taking creative licence too, which is totally within their purview.