What effect does increasing radar gain have on echoes and clutter?

• A. It narrows the radar beam.
• B. It increases the strength of all echoes, including clutter, which can obscure targets if set too high.
• C. It only strengthens weather echoes.
• D. It reduces clutter.

Answer: (B)

Raising radar gain boosts the amplification of all received signals, so both the target echoes and the clutter become stronger. This can improve the visibility of weak targets when used appropriately, but if the gain is set too high, the clutter—unwanted returns from the ground, sea, weather, or other off-target objects—also strengthens and can overwhelm or obscure real targets. The beam width is determined by the antenna, not by gain, so increasing gain does not narrow the beam. It also doesn’t selectively affect weather echoes; it amplifies all returns. And it doesn’t reduce clutter; it typically makes clutter more prominent. So the best takeaway is that increasing gain strengthens all echoes, including clutter, which can obscure targets if set too high.