The final controller will acquire the aircraft between ____ and ____ miles and the PALS ready/lock-on discrete light will illuminate.

• A. 3.5, 8
• B. 2.0, 4.0
• C. 5, 10
• D. 1, 6

Answer: (A)

Acquisition range and the readiness indicator are being tested here. The final controller is designed to acquire a target only within a specific envelope where tracking is reliable and safety constraints are satisfied. When the aircraft is within that window, the PALS ready/lock-on discrete light illuminates to show that the system is in the proper state to consider a lock-on. If the target is closer than the lower limit or farther than the upper limit, the conditions aren’t met for a stable lock, so the light won’t illuminate. Therefore, the intended acquisition and illumination occur between 3.5 and 8 miles.