Provided a target is not subject to target Swap, the ARPA should continue to track an acquired target which is clearly distinguishable on the display for how many consecutive scans?

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The key idea is how ARPA decides to keep tracking a target: a track is only continued if the target’s echo remains clearly distinguishable on the display for a minimum number of successive radar scans. This helps ensure you’re not following a fleeting or spurious return caused by noise or clutter.

If the target isn’t being swapped to another candidate, ARPA uses a stability criterion: the target must be clearly identifiable for five consecutive scans within the last ten scans. This five-scan requirement provides a balance—long enough to confirm persistence across typical radar noise, but short enough to recover quickly if the echo briefly fades or the target disappears from view. When a target meets this five-consecutive-scan criterion, the track is maintained; if it doesn’t, the system won’t keep the track in order to avoid false tracking.

So the best answer reflects that five consecutive scans (within a ten-scan window) is the threshold used to continue tracking an acquired target.