Which statement differentiates detection from acquisition in air defense sensors?

• A. Detection is recognizing a potential air target; acquisition is establishing and maintaining a track on the target for engagement decisions.
• B. Detection is the process of determining target speed; acquisition is determining target color.
• C. Detection means the radar is on; acquisition means it is off.
• D. Detection occurs after engagement; acquisition occurs before detection.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is the progression from noticing something in the sensor data to actively following it for decisions about engagement. Detection is when the radar or sensor spots a potential air target in its data. Acquisition is the next step: once something is noticed, the system establishes a track on it and maintains that track so commanders can make engagement decisions, like calculating a firing solution.

So the best statement aligns with that sequence: recognizing a potential air target, then establishing and maintaining a track on the target for engagement decisions. The other ideas mix up what detection or acquisition mean—speed and color aren’t the defining attributes of detection or acquisition, and they’re not the criteria used to decide engagement. Also, detection isn’t simply a matter of the radar being on versus off, and you don’t engage before you’ve detected the target.