The air-to-air missile proximity fuze detonation occurs when

• A. The missile senses the target moving farther away.
• B. The target closes to within close range.
• C. The target is stationary near the missile.
• D. The radar detects target lock loss.

Answer: (A)

Proximity fuzes are designed to explode when the target comes within a predefined proximity, using radar (or another sensor) to measure how far away the target is. The detonation point is set so the warhead can do its job even without a direct hit. In a typical intercept, the range to the target goes through the proximity threshold as the target passes by and begins to move away after the closest point. Once the target is within that defined radius, the fuze detects it and triggers the explosion, which can occur even as the target is receding. The other scenarios—waiting for the target to close further, the target being stationary, or radar lock loss—do not describe how a proximity fuse decides to detonate.