When larger Pulse Doppler radars came to be fitted (Phantom, F3 in RAF service),then low flying targets were usually detected first by the interceptors rather than Ground-based radar. Depending on distance offshore, medium and high targets would be detected by Ground first. If AWACS was available, it would often detect all kinds of targets first. The interceptor was often the first to discover raid size if targets were concentrated.
The radar operator (Nav,WSO,RIO) could adjust radar mode, scan width, height spread,and where the radar was pointing. A wider scan covers a bigger area, but of course takes longer before it updates each contact. Beyond Visual Range tactics attempted to get enemy fighters confused, by changing tracks when they were wide scanning, or suddenly changing direction out of a tighter scan (e.g. vertically down, known as a 'post-hole' manoeuvre because of what the a/c does if you don't pull out fast enough!)
Pulse mode allowed a weather radar/ground mapping display of sorts. Operator experience was key here. An old salt could get a lot more useful info than a new nav.
The display was normally B Scope, as Courtney says. The pilot has a repeater of the Nav's display. The Tornado also had a plan view display.
The Tornado could hold tracks in memory when they weren't being scanned, which would generally reassociate (after 1990) when rescanning if the target hadn't turned.
Who controlled the intercept depended on whether the fighter could detect the target early enough to execute the required intercept geometry. Lightning required a fair bit of help from GCI for many target profiles. Initial GCI geometry was often useful for high level, very high speed targets (say M1.8+) whatever the fighter. Phantom and Tornado could handle pretty much everything else.
Sometimes it was advantageous to keep the fighter radars in standby and use GCI for geometry until just before missile launch range. This was especially useful when acting as, or against, fighter sweep in front of the bombers. When JTIDS came in on Tornado, use of this tactic increased.
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 4th Apr 2015 at 22:10.