The Type 72DP improved the division of work between the carrier and its aircraft. Responsibility for producing correct information rested with the ship, while the aircraft needed only to turn that information into a simple homing vector or on-course indication. The pilot no longer had to perform a separate direction-finding operation or read a synchronized beacon watch. A light, reliable receiver and omnidirectional aerial could carry the beacon audio alongside normal radio-telephone communications. This mattered most for single-seat fighters, whose pilots could not spare attention for mental geometry while flying and managing radio traffic. The system shows how naval electronics evolved by reallocating workload among ship, equipment, and aircrew.
Chapter · 36:12-40:12
The Type 72DP reduces the aircrew burden
The later DP system shifted more work to the ship so a pilot, especially in a single-seat aircraft, could receive a simpler homing indication.