When the computer correlates the predicted position, speed and heading with which data using flight plan information, the target is considered paired?

When the computer correlates the predicted position, speed and heading with which data using flight plan information, the target is considered paired?

• A. weather radar return
• B. flight plan data
• C. the pilot's position report
• D. actual radar return

Answer: (D)

This is about data association in radar tracking. The system uses the flight plan to predict where an aircraft should be (its position, speed, and heading). To confirm a match, it then looks for an observed radar echo that falls near that predicted state. When an actual radar return aligns with the predicted position, speed, and heading, the target is considered paired with that track. The actual radar return is the data being correlated with the prediction to establish the pairing. Weather radar returns don’t correspond to a specific aircraft, and pilot position reports are separate updates rather than the data used to confirm pairing. Flight plan data helps generate the prediction but isn’t the data used to make the pairing decision itself.

This is about data association in radar tracking. The system uses the flight plan to predict where an aircraft should be (its position, speed, and heading). To confirm a match, it then looks for an observed radar echo that falls near that predicted state. When an actual radar return aligns with the predicted position, speed, and heading, the target is considered paired with that track. The actual radar return is the data being correlated with the prediction to establish the pairing. Weather radar returns don’t correspond to a specific aircraft, and pilot position reports are separate updates rather than the data used to confirm pairing. Flight plan data helps generate the prediction but isn’t the data used to make the pairing decision itself.