"Gfretwell" wrote ...
That is absolutely true. I suppose that is why they started using RADAR in
WWII
to spot sub periscopes. (significantly smaller than a truck) RADAR is a
whole
lot better now.

I think that the periscopes might have stuck up higher due to the need to
get above the waves... I was an Electronics Technician (Radar) when I was in
the Navy... On the radars for which I was responsible, there could be a lot
of ground clutter in certain types of conditions... Since that was 20 years
ago, I would suspect that the radar units have gotten someone better since
then... Still it boils down that you have to get visual confirmation on the
target before you send in the surface based assets... If you paint a target
that looks suspicious, you might dispatch surface based assets at the same
time as airborn assets, but of course the airborn assets will probably
aquire the target first... At the very least, they'll get on station
first... Once they acquire the target, they will direct the surface based
assets towards it... The initial radar dispatcher will route the airborn
asset to the general location of the target and then it is pretty much a
visual matter at that point... The airborn asset might have a downward
looking radar to make it easier though...