target lock
Weapon system engagement
Target lock is the state in which a weapon system or sensor has acquired and is continuously tracking a specific target, maintaining aim automatically.
In military and aviation contexts, achieving target lock means a missile or guidance system is ready to engage: The pilot announced target lock and fired.
Video games borrowed the mechanic, letting players lock onto enemies for easier combat: Hold the button to get a target lock on the boss.
- missileSelf-guided airborne weapon
- radarRadio-wave object detection
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- acquiredCame to possess
- homingSteering toward a target
crosshairs · aim · guided · reticle · weapons · engaged · pursuit · beep · tone · infrared · weapons free · hostile · bogey · tally ho · no joy · fire · launch · intercept
- fighter pilot termsfighter jets, interceptors, dogfighting, scramble, combat air patrol
- HUD elementsHUD, crosshair, crosshairs, reticle, health bar
- Radarradar display, radar dish, Doppler radar, radar imagery, radar antenna
- guidance systemsgyroscope, accelerometer, GPS guidance, magnetometer, flight computer
target lockuntracked
Having no recorded path
lost contact · broken lock · disengagement · evasion · scanning
target lockblind fire
Shooting without seeing targets
spray and pray · suppressive fire · carpet bombing · saturation bombing
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