A method for detecting targets and determining their distance by means of
an HPRF radar system including a transmitter for transmitting bursts
having a preselectable number Z of transmission pulses and a
preselectable pulse repetition frequency PRF and a receiver for receiving
the echo signals. Successive bursts are transmitted with a preselectable
time lag, where the time lag corresponds to a preselectable number E of
transmission pulses. A data record of Z+E detected signals is generated,
where each detected signal consists of superimposed echo signals from
different unique distance ranges, each distance range having a number A
of distance lines, each line having Z+E distance cells. A target is
detected by calculating a Z+E-point fast Fourier transform for each
distance line, and determining when the signal amplitude is greater than
a preselectable threshold value. The distance to a target is determined
by calculating spectra of Z-point fast Fourier transforms for the
distance lines by shifting a Z-point FFT window incrementally over the
Z+E distance cells of a distance line.