Which statement describes the seeker push-pull response?

Which statement describes the seeker push-pull response?

• A. Gimbals move toward the flare at energy peak.
• B. Gimbals move away from the flare at energy peak and toward the target at energy trough.
• C. Gimbals move randomly.
• D. Gimbals always lock onto the flare.

Answer: (B)

The seeker push-pull response describes how the infrared seeker reacts to bright decoys like flares while still aiming at the true target. When a flare sits at the energy peak, the gimbals move away from that bright spot to avoid being centered on the decoy. Meanwhile, the genuine target’s signal tends to align with regions of lower energy (an energy trough) in the detector’s distribution, so the gimbals move toward that trough to keep tracking the real target. This combination—pushing away from the flare’s peak and pulling toward the target’s trough—lets the seeker reject decoys and maintain lock on the aircraft. The other behaviors would simply chase the flare, wander randomly, or lock onto the flare, which would compromise tracking.

The seeker push-pull response describes how the infrared seeker reacts to bright decoys like flares while still aiming at the true target. When a flare sits at the energy peak, the gimbals move away from that bright spot to avoid being centered on the decoy. Meanwhile, the genuine target’s signal tends to align with regions of lower energy (an energy trough) in the detector’s distribution, so the gimbals move toward that trough to keep tracking the real target. This combination—pushing away from the flare’s peak and pulling toward the target’s trough—lets the seeker reject decoys and maintain lock on the aircraft. The other behaviors would simply chase the flare, wander randomly, or lock onto the flare, which would compromise tracking.