Definition
A computer-generated symbol displayed on an air traffic controller's radar screen that represents an aircraft's position, derived from one or more sensor sources (such as primary radar, secondary radar, or ADS-B) and processed by the automation system before being shown to the controller.
Plain English
The shape on a controller's screen that shows where an aircraft is. The computer takes information from radar and other sensors, combines it, and draws the symbol the controller actually sees.
Context Anchor
Seen in air traffic control and surveillance display discussions, especially where radar or other tracking information is shown on a controller’s screen.
Derivation
"Digital" because the position is processed by computer rather than drawn directly by the radar beam. "Target" is the long-standing radar term for any object the system is tracking. Together: a computer-processed representation of a tracked aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Allows controllers to track aircraft more accurately and with less interference, improving safety in the national airspace system.
Intuition Check
Do not read target as something to shoot at or aim for. In this context, a target is simply an aircraft, vehicle, or object being displayed and tracked.
Example Sentence 1
The controller watched the digital target move steadily along the assigned route on the radar display.
Example Sentence 2
Digital targets from ADS-B equipped aircraft provide more precise altitude and speed information.