Which statement best describes a Track-While-Scan (TWS) operation?

• A. It only searches for new contacts and does not update existing tracks.
• B. It maintains and updates tracks while continuing to search for new targets.
• C. It slows down scanning to process tracked targets exhaustively.
• D. It disables range information during scanning.

Answer: (B)

Track-While-Scan means the radar keeps a set of known targets updated while it continues to scan for new ones. As the system tracks each target, it updates measurements like range, bearing, and possibly range rate, so the target plots stay accurate. At the same time, the radar beam or processing cycles keep searching other sectors to discover new contacts. This parallel operation is what lets you manage multiple tracks without pausing surveillance, which is essential for timely detection and engagement.

This approach wouldn’t fit if you only searched for new contacts without updating existing tracks, slowed scanning to process tracked targets exhaustively, or disabled range information. Range data is fundamental to maintaining accurate tracks, and the idea is to balance updating existing targets with continuing the search for new ones.