What is the track spacing for a PIW?

• A. .05 NM
• B. .1 NM
• C. .2 NM
• D. .25 NM

Answer: (B)

Track spacing is the distance between adjacent PIW tracks on the radar/tracking display. A spacing that’s tight enough helps ensure targets, especially fast or closely spaced ones, stay continuously tracked and accurately correlated as they move. The one-tenth of a nautical mile setting hits the right balance: it provides enough resolution to distinguish nearby targets and keep tracking continuity without overloading the system with an excessive number of tracks. If you used larger spacing, gaps could appear where a target slips between tracks and tracking is lost; if you used an even smaller spacing, you’d burden the system with unnecessary tracks and clutter. So, one-tenth of a nautical mile is the appropriate PIW track spacing.