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Multiple Choice

What indicates a target changed course using ARPA?

Detecting a maneuver on ARPA comes from watching how the target’s motion data changes. When a target changes course, its motion vector on the display alters direction, the course readout updates to reflect the new bearing, the predicted Closest Point of Approach (and the time to CPA) shift, and the target’s speed reading can change. Additionally, the afterglow trace—the trail of the target’s past positions—will begin to bend as the forecasted path changes. Together, these indicators signal that the target has altered its course, rather than simply changing range. The notion that the vector would always stay the same or that only range changes indicate a maneuver isn’t accurate, and the idea that the afterglow simply disappears isn’t a reliable cue.

Detecting a maneuver on ARPA comes from watching how the target’s motion data changes. When a target changes course, its motion vector on the display alters direction, the course readout updates to reflect the new bearing, the predicted Closest Point of Approach (and the time to CPA) shift, and the target’s speed reading can change. Additionally, the afterglow trace—the trail of the target’s past positions—will begin to bend as the forecasted path changes. Together, these indicators signal that the target has altered its course, rather than simply changing range. The notion that the vector would always stay the same or that only range changes indicate a maneuver isn’t accurate, and the idea that the afterglow simply disappears isn’t a reliable cue.