Which statement describes a target swap in ARPA?

Prepare for the ARPA and Radar Operation Test. Enhance your skills with multiple choice questions, detailed explanations, and real-time simulations. Ensure maritime safety with confidence!

Target swap in ARPA happens when the automatic target-tracking logic switches the active track from the intended vessel to a different target. The tracker uses correlation between successive radar echoes and predicted motion to keep one target in the tracked state. If another echo becomes more favorable—such as two targets being close together, sharing similar speeds or courses, or clutter confusing the scene—the correlation can incorrectly latch onto the second vessel. When this occurs, the system’s tracked data (range, bearing, course, speed, etc.) is applied to the new target, and continuity on the original target is lost unless you reselect it.

This description fits because it describes an automatic misidentification where ARPA assigns the track to a different target rather than a deliberate change by the operator, a loss of power, or data unavailability. To manage it, you would reidentify and reselect the correct target (or use manual tracking/lock features and AIS corroboration) to restore the intended track and maintain accurate information on that vessel.