Definition
On an ARTS III or DBRITE radar display, the tracked target center is the precise screen point that represents an aircraft's current position as the radar system continuously follows (tracks) it. Associated data such as the aircraft's data block — call sign, altitude, and groundspeed — is anchored to this point.
Plain English
It is the exact spot on the controller's radar screen that shows where an aircraft is right now, with all of that aircraft's information attached to it.
Context Anchor
Seen in radar display diagrams and controller radar displays, including ARTS III and DBRITE presentations used around controlled airports.
Derivation
‘Track’ comes from Old French ‘trac’, meaning a path or trail. In radar use it means following an aircraft's path continuously. The ‘center’ is the single point chosen to represent the aircraft's position on screen.
Why Pilots Care
When a controller refers to your position, altitude, or speed, they are reading information attached to your tracked target center. Understanding this helps pilots picture what the controller is seeing when they are issued traffic, vectors, or altitude calls.
Grounding Statement
Picture a small point on a controller’s radar screen marking where the radar system places your aircraft at that moment.
Intuition Check
Do not read “center” as the physical middle of the airplane. Here it means the computed position point for the whole radar target on the display.
Example Sentence 1
The data block on the radar scope is displayed next to the tracked target center, showing the aircraft's call sign and altitude.
Example Sentence 2
Data tags remain attached to the tracked target center even as the aircraft changes altitude.