What does CPA stand for in radar navigation?

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Multiple Choice

What does CPA stand for in radar navigation?

CPA stands for Closest Point of Approach. It’s the predicted distance between your vessel and another vessel if both keep their present courses and speeds. This helps you judge collision risk: the smaller the CPA distance and the sooner the TCPA (time to CPA), the more urgently you may need to alter course or speed. Think of it as forecasting where the two tracks come closest, not where you are now or how accurate a position is. The other phrases don’t fit radar navigation terminology because CPA specifically describes the closest separation between two moving vessels, not an angle, a center of accuracy, or a predicted arrival.

CPA stands for Closest Point of Approach. It’s the predicted distance between your vessel and another vessel if both keep their present courses and speeds. This helps you judge collision risk: the smaller the CPA distance and the sooner the TCPA (time to CPA), the more urgently you may need to alter course or speed. Think of it as forecasting where the two tracks come closest, not where you are now or how accurate a position is. The other phrases don’t fit radar navigation terminology because CPA specifically describes the closest separation between two moving vessels, not an angle, a center of accuracy, or a predicted arrival.

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