Plotting
When plotting ( English for: recording, graphically represent, Mapping ) is known in the maritime field, the graphical representation of positions and external influences such as wind or current , to evaluate them for course planning. The representation itself is called a plot . Originally the plot was drawn by hand on nautical charts and notepaper. In addition to the course triangle or the Breton plotter, all that was needed was a pencil . Today electronic to computer-aided systems are used, a particularly well-known form is radar plotting .
In the context of the needs of the navy , the representation is much more complex, it contains all air, surface and underwater contacts with identification, course and speed. The plot is not only used to represent the tactical situation, but also supports tactical navigation and is indispensable for the calculation of firing solutions , especially for submarines . Automated procedures were introduced as early as the Second World War , which calculated shot solutions and allowed a simplified plot creation. However, the leading force was the US Navy , which used the first fully automated plot computer which, after entering the known data of a target, automatically calculated a self-updated firing solution.
On modern warships , plots are created today in direct coordination of radar , sonar and weapons control systems with massive use of high-performance computers that create a complete and up-to-date representation of the situation and make it available for use. However, a manual plot is still being created in part to clarify the situation.
See also
literature
- Peter Padfield: The Submarine War. 1939-1945. Ullstein, Berlin et al. 1996, ISBN 3-550-07093-4 .