Which parameter describes the separation of two targets at the same range but different bearing?

Which parameter describes the separation of two targets at the same range but different bearing?

• A. Range resolution
• B. Azimuth/bearing resolution
• C. Time resolution
• D. Doppler resolution

Answer: (B)

Angular (azimuth) resolution is what lets a radar tell two targets apart when they share the same distance from the radar but sit at different bearings. The radar detects where echoes come from in angle, not just how far away they are, so you need a narrow beam to separate targets that occupy nearby angles. The ability to distinguish them improves when the beamwidth is smaller, which happens with larger antenna apertures or higher frequencies. In short, if two targets line up in range but differ in bearing beyond the radar’s angular resolution, you’ll see two distinct returns; if their angular separation is within the beamwidth, they blend into one target. The other options don’t describe this separation in bearing. Range resolution is about distinguishing targets that are at different distances, time resolution concerns separating events in time, and Doppler resolution concerns separating targets by velocity via frequency shifts, not their angular separation.

Angular (azimuth) resolution is what lets a radar tell two targets apart when they share the same distance from the radar but sit at different bearings. The radar detects where echoes come from in angle, not just how far away they are, so you need a narrow beam to separate targets that occupy nearby angles. The ability to distinguish them improves when the beamwidth is smaller, which happens with larger antenna apertures or higher frequencies. In short, if two targets line up in range but differ in bearing beyond the radar’s angular resolution, you’ll see two distinct returns; if their angular separation is within the beamwidth, they blend into one target.

The other options don’t describe this separation in bearing. Range resolution is about distinguishing targets that are at different distances, time resolution concerns separating events in time, and Doppler resolution concerns separating targets by velocity via frequency shifts, not their angular separation.