For those of you reading stories of 'trailing' in the cold war, keep in mind that the US Navy's definitions of the words "track" and "trail" may be different than yours.
"Trailing" is generally done at long (sometimes VERY long) ranges. "Tracking" is actually closer in, but not as close as y'all are talking
. The goal is always to maintain the best track possible (whether continuous or intermittent depends on the platfrom in question) while maintaining tactical control of the geometry and avoiding counterdetection. If you can accomplish a steady track from several miles away then you may as well stay several miles away until it's time to attack. Usually the potential benefits of getting close don't come near the risks involved. It's a simple ORM (operational risk management) problem.