Definition
In ICAO usage, a target is anything detected and displayed on a radar screen as an indication of an aircraft or other object — for example, a primary radar return from the aircraft's skin, or a secondary radar response from its transponder.
Plain English
A blip or symbol on a radar screen that shows where an aircraft (or other object) is.
Context Anchor
Seen in air traffic control and surveillance discussions, especially when describing what appears on a controller’s radar or traffic display.
Derivation
From the Old French 'targette,' meaning a small shield. The sense of 'something aimed at or watched' carried into radar use, where the operator's attention is fixed on each return on the screen.
Why Pilots Care
Clear understanding of targets supports correct interpretation of traffic advisories and helps maintain safe separation from other aircraft.
Intuition Check
Do not read target here as something being shot at or aimed at. In this context, it means a displayed aircraft or object being tracked on a surveillance screen.
Example Sentence 1
The controller advised, 'Traffic, twelve o'clock, two miles, opposite direction — radar target indicates same altitude.'
Example Sentence 2
The ADS-B display showed three targets within five miles of our position.