Method of operating a detection radar, following at least two sub-modes: Doppler and associated detection radar

Abstract

TITLE Method of operating a detection radar following at least two Doppler sub-modes and associated detection radar The present invention relates to a method of operating a target detection radar following a Doppler mode, comprising the following steps: - emission / reception of signals comprising the following sub-steps: + generation (111) of at least two consecutive pulses associated with different Doppler sub-modes defining different energy budgets; + emission (112) of the pulses; + reception (113) in a common time window of the echoes of the pulses; + for each Doppler sub-mode, processing (114) of the received echoes to generate a list of pre-detected targets; - for each Doppler sub-mode and from the corresponding list of pre-detected targets, implementation (130) of an extraction process to generate a list of detected targets; - merging (140) of the lists of detected targets.Figure for the abbreviation: Figure 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for operating a detection radar using at least two Doppler sub-modes and associated detection radar

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of operating a detection radar following at least two Doppler sub-modes.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a detection radar implementing such a method.

[0003] The technical field of the invention is that of radar systems embedded for example on board aircraft, boats, submarines or satellites, implementing target detection / identification.

[0004] The general problem solved by the invention is the management of false alarms related to the quality of radar extraction and ambiguity resolution processing.

[0005] As is known per se, radar modes for detecting aerial and moving ground targets employ so-called Doppler waveforms. Phase coherence between pulses makes it possible to exploit the Doppler effect related to the relative movement of targets with respect to the radar. This classic technique makes it possible to separate targets according to their radial velocity. It has considerably increased the discriminating power of radars against stationary clutter (originating from the ground) or slow-moving clutter (originating from the sea).

[0006] Doppler processing is a coherent processing (exploiting phase information) allowing to increase the coherent gain with respect to a Gaussian white noise and for a given target its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0007] Doppler processing allows for the separation of spread echoes, such as ground and sea clutter, along the frequency axis. The resolution cell, also called a square, of the Doppler processing is inversely proportional to the integration time. The average equivalent radar area (also called RCSA) of a surface clutter over a range-velocity cell is then proportional to the Doppler resolution cell.

[0008] The distance measurement of a Doppler waveform is ambiguous, depending on the recurrence period:

[0009] D amb cTr / 2

[0010] where c is the speed of light and Tr is the recurrence period (Tr = 1 / Fr).

[0011] As a general rule, the repetition frequencies Fr are chosen according to the velocity ranges to be handled by the mode due to the fact that the ambiguous velocity is a function of the wavelength A and the value Fr:

[0012] Vamh = XFr / 2.

[0013] Thus, for the detection and tracking of high-speed targets with evasive capability (fighters, missiles, etc.) it is usually preferable to use waveforms with a high Fr value, while for the detection and tracking of low or medium-speed targets (land vehicles, helicopters, light drones, etc.) it is usually preferable to use waveforms with a low Fr value.

[0014] Several values ​​of Fr are then used to jointly resolve the ambiguities of distance and velocity of the echoes detected by a detector in power or contrast: the pre-detections are correlated on the set of Fr played in the same pointing direction in order to resolve the ambiguities of distance / velocity with a "K / N" criterion.

[0015] When the number of pre-detections is high, for example on degraded atmospheric conditions (angel echoes), on false alarms related to the cluttered airborne area poorly managed by the detector, or on a high density of high moving targets (passage near a road, etc.), the number of associations to be made by the extractor explodes and this can lead to a large number of false associations and therefore false alarms.

[0016] The conventional solution then consists of raising the detection thresholds, either locally or globally, in order to regulate pre-detections at the extractor inlet and thus prevent false unfoldings. Another solution consists of listing the pre-detections in descending order according to their Signal-to-Environment Ratio (SER), so as to group together the high-power echoes and then progressively move down the SER list of pre-detections. However, these solutions are not sufficiently effective.

[0017] More specifically, the first solution involves a decrease in radar sensitivity. The second solution consists of prioritizing detections and then potentially discarding those at the bottom of the list. This second solution can reduce the number of false associations, in particular because the last elements of the list (those closest to the threshold) are rejected. To achieve this, a criterion for the maximum density of detections (or a maximum number of detections) per direction can be provided. In both cases, a desensitization (reduction in range, or increase in the minimum detectable RCS) is observed.

[0018] The present invention aims to efficiently reduce the number of false unfoldings at the output of the extractor, without raising detection thresholds and without hierarchical processes based on CSR values.

[0019] To this end, the invention relates to a method for operating a target detection radar using a Doppler mode, the method comprising the implementation of several repetitions of a signal transmission / reception step, each nth repetition of said step comprising the following sub-steps:

[0020] + generation of at least two consecutive pulses associated with submodes Different Dopplers define different energy balances;

[0021] + emission of pulses in different frequency bands;

[0022] + reception in a common time window of pulse echoes;

[0023] + for each Doppler sub-mode, processing of received echoes to generate a list of pre-detected targets according to this Doppler sub-mode;

[0024] the process further comprising the following steps:

[0025] - for each Doppler sub-mode and from the list of pre-detected targets corresponding, implementation of an extraction process to generate a list of targets detected by this Doppler sub-mode;

[0026] - merging of the lists of detected targets corresponding to the Doppler sub-modes different and tracking according to a merged list.

[0027] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the method comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations: - the process comprising a step of masking pre-detections made by the Doppler sub-mode having a lower energy balance, for the Doppler sub-mode having a higher energy balance; - the masking step is implemented during the sub-step of processing the received echoes according to the Doppler mode having a higher energy balance; - advantageously, said step including a masking or scrambling of the boxes corresponding to the Doppler mode having a lower energy balance; - the masking step is implemented after the processing substep; advantageously, said step comprising a removal of targets pre-detected by a Doppler submode having a higher energy balance which are co-localized with those detected by a Doppler submode having a lower energy balance; - the sub-step of processing the received echoes according to a Doppler sub-mode is implemented for a spatial domain defined by this Doppler sub-mode; - each spatial domain is defined by a distance to the detection radar; - the pulse associated with a Doppler sub-mode having a greater energy balance has a greater width than the pulse associated with a Doppler sub-mode having a lesser energy balance; - the pulses of the or each pair of pulses associated with the different Doppler submodes are spaced by a time gap chosen to be as small as possible; - the impulses define the same waveform; - the pulses are emitted in the same direction during the same recurrence of the signal transmission / reception step; - during the emission sub-step, the corresponding pulses are emitted using different slopes of the chirps used to emit them; - During the reception sub-stage, echoes associated with different pulses are distinguished by determining the slopes of the corresponding chirps. - during the emission sub-step the corresponding pulses are emitted using different polarizations; - during the reception sub-stage, echoes associated with different pulses are distinguished by determining their polarizations; - a polarization is emitted for each pulse or a set of polarizations forming a signature is emitted for each pulse.

[0028] The invention also relates to a target detection radar comprising technical means configured to implement the method as defined above.

[0029] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0030] - [Fig. 1] [Fig. 1] is a schematic view of a detection radar according to the invention,

[0031] - [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a flowchart of a method for operating the radar of the [Fig. 1], and

[0032] - [Fig.3] [Fig.4] Figures 3 to 4 are different views illustrating the implementation of the process of [Fig.2].

[0033] Figure 1 illustrates a detection radar 10 according to the invention. This radar 10 is intended, for example, to be mounted on a mobile platform moving in the air and / or on a land surface and / or on a sea surface. Advantageously, the radar 10 is intended to be mounted on a platform moving in the air, such as an aircraft. Alternatively, the radar 10 is fixed in place.

[0034] The radar 10 allows the detection of targets according to a Doppler mode, for example of the MMTI type (Maritime Moving Target Indicator), GMTI type (Ground Moving Target Indicator) or AMTI (from the English "Aerial Moving Targets" for "mobile aerial targets" in French).

[0035] With reference to [Fig.1], the radar 10 comprises an array of elementary antennas 21 enabling the emission of signals in the form of pulses and the reception of signals corresponding to echoes of these pulses.

[0036] The radar 10 further includes a transmission unit 22 for generating the pulses to be emitted by the antenna array 21 and a reception unit 23 for processing the echoes received by the antenna array 21 in order to deduce the presence of a target and possibly a speed and distance to that target.

[0037] Each of the units 22, 23 is implemented, for example, as a programmable circuit of the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) type and / or of the ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) type. In addition or alternatively, each of these units 22, 23 is implemented at least partially as software executable by a processor and stored in memory.

[0038] The operating method of radar 10 will now be explained with reference to [Fig.2] showing a flowchart of its steps.

[0039] This method is considered to be implemented during an electronic scanning of the space around the radar 10, for example by implementing conventional beamforming in transmission and reception. In particular, this method comprises the iterative implementation of at least steps 110 and 120 described below for each pointing position of the radar 10. Each iteration of these steps is called a recurrence.

[0040] It is further considered that the pointing positions follow one another according to a predetermined direction of rotation and each defines an angular opening dependent on the pointing angle known to those skilled in the art. The set of pointing positions defines an available visibility cone of the radar 10. In other words, by "visibility cone" is meant the set of different pointing positions during a scan performed by the radar 10. Without loss of generality, the sequence of these pointing positions can also be random to achieve a complete scan of the visibility cone.

[0041] Each nth recurrence of step 110 includes an emission / reception of signals in the corresponding pointing position.

[0042] In particular, during this step, the transmitting unit 22 of the radar 10 emits signals having a particular waveform and the receiving unit 23 receives echoes of these signals.

[0043] The signals emitted / received during this step are of the so-called communalized wave type.

[0044] Each communalized wave comprises at least two consecutive pulses associated with different energy balances. Thus, each pulse defines a Doppler submode with an associated spatial domain, as will be explained later. The different Doppler submodes employ the same set of waveforms and, in particular, the same repetition period and the same emitted bandwidth.

[0045] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a Doppler mode, for example of the AIR type, decomposed into two submodes, namely a submode S1 defining a spatial domain DI and a submode S2 defining a spatial domain D2. The submode S2 has a higher energy budget than the submode S1. The spatial domain D2 is therefore larger than the spatial domain DI and includes the latter. The spatial domain DI corresponds, for example, to the range of the submode relative to a RCS of a given target, or to a function dependent on this range and this reference RCS.

[0046] In general, each spatial domain can be defined by a distance to radar 10. In the example of [Fig.3], the domain D2 can be defined by a distance Dis2 to radar 10 and the domain DI can be defined by a distance Disl to radar 10 such that Dis2>Disl.

[0047] Step 110 of signal transmission / reception comprises several sub-steps which will be explained in detail below.

[0048] During substep 111, the emission unit 22 of the radar 10 generates a plurality of consecutive pulses associated with different Doppler submodes, i.e., with different energy balances.

[0049] Hereafter, without loss of generality, only the case with two Doppler submodes and therefore two pulses will be described in detail. The case with a number of Doppler submodes strictly greater than 2 can be deduced in a similar manner.

[0050] Thus, during substep 111, the transmitting unit 22 generates a first pulse Ii linked to a first submode (for example, submode SI in the example of [Fig. 3]) and a second pulse I2 linked to a second submode (for example, submode S2 in the example of [Fig. 3]). These two pulses are illustrated in [Fig. 4].

[0051] The pulses h and I2 are associated with the same repetition frequency and the same emission direction. Furthermore, these pulses L and I2 are associated with different emission frequencies. The emission direction can be defined, for example, by a pair of angular values. These angular values ​​correspond, for example, to the emission elevation (or site) and azimuth, denoted respectively by El and Az.

[0052] The pulses I1 and I2 are generated within an emission window Te in which each pulse has a width Li and is separated from the other pulse and from one of the boundaries of the emission window Te by a time gap TGAP. This time gap TGAP is chosen to be as small as possible depending on the transmitter's capabilities. In what follows, the subscript i=1 denotes any value relating to the first pulse and i=2 denotes any value relating to the second pulse.

[0053] The energy budget of each pulse is defined by its width Li. Thus, to have different energy budgets, the width Li of one of the pulses must be strictly greater than the width Li of the other. In a particular mode, the width Li of one of the pulses is at least twice as large as that of the other. Thus, according to an example, 5% of the emission window Te can be allocated to one of the submodes and 95% of the emission window Te can be allocated to the other submode. This represents a difference in energy budget of approximately 13 dB. For example, in the case of a ratio l% / 99%, the difference in energy budget is 20 dB.

[0054] In the example in [Fig. 4], the width L2 of the pulse associated with the second submode (i.e., pulse I2) is strictly greater than the width Li of the pulse associated with the first submode (i.e., pulse IJ-). Thus, in this example, the second submode has a greater energy balance than the first submode. Conversely, the first pulse F can have a greater width than the second pulse I2.

[0055] In the frequency domain, the pulses share the same frequency support Brec, with a frequency gap FGAP between the corresponding carriers Fi greater than the frequency bands Bi of these pulses. The frequency gap FGAP is chosen to be sufficient to distinguish echoes of these pulses at the receiver. In what follows, a frequency band is defined by a center frequency and a bandwidth. Advantageously, in what follows, all frequency bands have the same bandwidth. Furthermore, the frequency gap FGAP is measured between a pair of corresponding center frequencies and is greater than the bandwidth of each frequency band.

[0056] The frequency bands Bi and B2 of the first pulse F and the second pulse I2, respectively, are advantageously chosen to be the same for each iteration of step 110. Thus, the same center frequency Fei and the same center frequency Fe2 are chosen for the first and second pulses, respectively, in each iteration of step 110, ensuring phase coherence between the iterations to allow for Doppler processing. Furthermore, advantageously and alternatively, the shortest pulse can be produced without linear frequency modulation (LFM) so that its time width is compatible with the desired distance resolution, without pulse compression (because not LFM), i.e. Li = 1 / B2.

[0057] During substep 112, the transmitting unit 22 emits the pulses generated during the previous substep in the corresponding frequency bands.

[0058] During substep 113, the receiving unit 23 receives echoes corresponding to the pulses emitted within a common reception time window. The duration Tr of this common reception window is equal to the total duration of the recurrence TR (i.e., the observation time of the corresponding pointing for one recurrence, as defined previously) minus the duration of the transmission window Te. During reception, the echoes corresponding to the different pulses are distinguished by the different frequency bands, using, for example, bandpass filters around the center frequencies.

[0059] During substep 114, the receiving unit 23 performs preprocessing of the received echoes separately for each Doppler submode.

[0060] In a manner known per se, this preprocessing includes, for each Doppler submode, the implementation of at least certain techniques chosen from among a pulse compression technique, a clutter rejection technique, a Doppler processing technique, an ambient noise measurement technique, a detection technique, for example of the TFAC type ("constant false alarm rate").

[0061] The detection technique makes it possible, in particular, to pre-detect targets that must be confirmed during an extraction process, which will be explained in detail later. Thus, this technique makes it possible to generate a list of pre-detections, that is to say, a list of pre-detected targets, by analyzing signals from each cell of the corresponding spatial domain.

[0062] During a step 120, the receiving unit 23 performs a masking of pre-detections made by the Doppler sub-mode having a lower energy balance for the other Doppler sub-mode.

[0063] According to different embodiments, this step 120 can be carried out during the implementation of the pretreatment substep 114 or after the implementation of the latter (example of [Fig.2]).

[0064] In the first case, i.e. when step 120 is carried out during the implementation of substep 114, pre-detection masking can be carried out before the implementation of the ambient noise measurement and detection techniques, using for example one of the following techniques:

[0065] - by applying a mask to the pre-detected cells by the Doppler sub-mode having a lower energy balance. In other words, this technique prevents the use of these boxes by the sub-mode with a higher energy balance.

[0066] - by replacing the raw power of the pre-detected boxes of the Doppler sub-mode having a lower energy balance due to their ambient noise estimation in the Doppler sub-mode map, which has a higher energy balance. Thus, the processing performed by this latter Doppler sub-mode applies everywhere but should not trigger detections in areas pre-detected by the other sub-mode.

[0067] In the second case, that is, when step 120 is carried out after the implementation of substep 114, the masking may include the removal of pre-detections made by the Doppler submode having a higher energy budget which are co-localized with those detected by the other Doppler submode.

[0068] In certain embodiments, masking in relation to the Doppler submode with a higher energy balance is performed after an extraction process carried out in relation to the Doppler submode with a lower energy balance. Such an extraction process is described in step 130 below.

[0069] In particular, in such a case, the pre-detection extraction process of the Doppler sub-mode with a lower energy balance creates a list of confirmed detections. The pre-detections associated with these confirmed detections are then passed to step 120, which is implemented in conjunction with the Doppler sub-mode with a higher energy balance, and are excluded from any processing by this Doppler sub-mode. In this case, the masking therefore occurs after the implementation of an extraction process carried out by the Doppler sub-mode with a lower energy balance.

[0070] In a subsequent step 130, the receiving unit 23 performs an extraction process for each Doppler submode from the list of pre-detections corresponding to that Doppler submode.

[0071] In particular, and in a manner known per se, such an extraction process utilizes information gleaned by the use of several repetition periods (or repetition frequency Fr) played within the same tracking sequence in order to resolve ambiguities regarding distance and speed by correlating the different pre-detections obtained on each Fr. Any other process enabling the identification of targets in a standby mode can be used, for example, and without limitation, a complementary extraction process of the "turn-by-turn" type, to enhance control of the false alarm rate upstream of the tracking algorithm.

[0072] A target is considered to be detected when, at the end of this extraction process (also called unambiguity removal), the receiving unit 23 concludes that such a target is present in the area considered.

[0073] A target is considered definitively detected when, after several implementations of steps 110 and 130, at least K detections are present and correlate within the same area over a horizon of N implementations of these steps. In this notation, The number K represents the number of steps (130) at which the target was considered detected. The K / N ratio can then be compared with a threshold called the target extraction threshold.

[0074] At the end of this step 130, the receiving unit 23 generates a list of detections, i.e. a list of detected targets, for each Doppler sub-mode.

[0075] In a subsequent step 140, the receiving unit 23 merges the detection lists corresponding to the different Doppler sub-modes.

[0076] Thus, tracking can then be carried out using the merged lists of detections.

[0077] It is therefore conceivable that the process according to the invention has a number of advantages.

[0078] In particular, decomposing the detection mode into at least two sub-modes makes it possible to separate the pre-detections produced to be ingested by the extraction process. Thus, the probability of false associations and the number of false unfoldings are considerably reduced during the extraction processes.

[0079] In this respect, the search domains of the two extractors can be reduced along the distance axis. In the example of [Fig.3], the extractor of sub-mode SI can thus only process unfoldings up to a distance Disl (although greater than its typical range for the strongest SER range to be detected) and the extractor of sub-mode S2 can process distance unfoldings from a distance Dis3 which is slightly less than the distance Dis1 to have sufficient overlap.

[0080] In certain embodiments, the operating method as explained above further includes the implementation of at least one technique enabling the separation, during the transmission / reception of the communalized waves, of the echoes of the pulses corresponding to different sub-modes in order to reconstruct a complete image of the environment.

[0081] According to a first technique, during the implementation of the nth recurrence of step 110, and in particular during the emission substep 112, the emission unit 22 selects one of the pulses, for example the first pulse, and adds a random phase 0 to that pulse. Advantageously, the emission unit 22 adds a different random phase (p) to each of the pulses. The pulse or pulses having an added random phase (p) are hereafter referred to as a phase-shifted pulse.

[0082] It should be noted that the choice of the pulse to be phase-shifted can remain the same for each recurrence of this substep 112. In other words, when only one pulse is phase-shifted during this substep, the same pulse is phase-shifted in each recurrence of this step. When both pulses are phase-shifted during this sub-step, these pulses are also out of phase in each recurrence of that sub-step.

[0083] Then, during the reception substep 113, the receiving unit 23 compensates for the phase shift of the received echoes in the frequency band of the or each phase-shifted pulse, by the corresponding random phase. In other words, the phase shift is carried out by subtracting the value (p in the band corresponding to the index i.

[0084] Thus, during the subsequent processing, only the echoes corresponding to the relevant submode can be processed coherently. The phase shift of the other echoes cannot be performed correctly, so they are considered white noise. This technique also requires parallel processing of the distance ambiguity ranks and a sufficient number of recurrences to ensure the necessary isolation.

[0085] Other techniques for obtaining better isolation of echoes corresponding to different submodes upon their reception are also possible. The techniques explained below, in particular, allow for a single Doppler processing step, unlike the previously mentioned random phase technique.

[0086] Thus, according to a second technique, during the implementation of the nth recurrence of step 110, and in particular during the emission substep 112, the emission unit 22 uses different slopes for the chirps used to emit the pulses associated with the different submodes. In other words, during this substep 112, the emission unit 22 emits the pulses using either an ascending or a descending slope depending on the submode associated with each pulse. The same slope is then used for all pulses of this type in all recurrences of step 110.

[0087] For example, for all recurrences, an upward slope is chosen for the pulses associated with a particular submode and a downward slope is chosen for the pulses associated with another particular submode.

[0088] Then, during the reception substep 113, the receiving unit 23 receives echoes having different frequency slopes. This receiving unit 23 therefore determines the received slopes (using, in particular, suitable filters) in order to isolate the echoes corresponding to the different submodes.

[0089] According to a third technique that also provides better isolation of the echoes corresponding to the different submodes during their reception, during the implementation of the nth recurrence of step 110, and in particular during the emission substep 112, the emission unit 22 implements different polarizations of the waves used to emit the pulses associated with the different submodes. In other words, during this substep 112, the emission unit 22 emits The wave carrying each pulse has a polarization chosen according to the submode associated with that pulse. This same polarization is chosen for this type of pulse for all recurrences of step 110.

[0090] For example, two polarizations, namely a vertical polarization and a horizontal polarization, can be chosen for the pulses emitted during substep 112. According to other examples, a 45° or circular polarization can be used.

[0091] Then, during the reception substep 113, the receiving unit 23 receives echoes having different polarizations. This receiving unit 23 therefore determines the polarizations of the received echoes (using, in particular, suitable filters) in order to isolate the echoes corresponding to the different submodes.

[0092] The principle just described can be refined by using several polarizations in the same pulse.

[0093] In such a case, each pulse has a specific polarization signature. Such a signature corresponds to a polarization code.

[0094] This technique thus makes it possible to color the different pulses in space and to obtain an additional rejection of 20 to 30 dB.

[0095] In certain embodiments, the aforementioned techniques are combined to be implemented simultaneously. Furthermore, the extraction process as explained above to resolve ambiguities in distance and velocity and / or along at least one pointing direction, can also be used in combination with the second or third technique, as described above.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for operating a Doppler-mode target detection radar (10), the method comprising implementing several repetitions of a signal transmission / reception step (110), each nth repetition of said step (110) comprising the following substeps: + generation (111) of at least two consecutive pulses associated with different Doppler submodes defining different energy budgets, the energy budget of each pulse being defined by its width; + transmission (112) of the pulses in different frequency bands; + reception (113) in a common time window of the pulse echoes; + for each Doppler submode, processing (114) of the received echoes to generate a list of pre-detected targets according to that Doppler submode;the process further comprising the following steps: - for each Doppler sub-mode and from the corresponding list of pre-detected targets, implementation (130) of an extraction process to generate a list of targets detected by this Doppler sub-mode; - merging (140) the lists of detected targets corresponding to the different Doppler sub-modes and tracking according to a merged list.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprises a step (120) of masking pre-detections made by the Doppler sub-mode having a lower energy balance, for the Doppler sub-mode having a higher energy balance.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the masking step (120) is implemented during the substep of processing (114) the echoes received according to the Doppler mode having a higher energy balance; advantageously, said step (120) comprising a masking or scrambling of boxes corresponding to the Doppler mode having a lower energy balance.

4. Method according to claim 2, wherein the masking step (120) is carried out after the processing substep (114); advantageously, said step (120) comprising a removal of targets pre-detected by a Doppler sub-mode having a higher energy balance which are co-located with those detected by a Doppler sub-mode having a lower energy balance.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substep of processing (114) the received echoes according to a Doppler submode is implemented for a spatial domain defined by this Doppler submode.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein each spatial domain is defined by a distance to the detection radar (10).

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pulse associated with a Doppler submode having a larger energy balance has a larger width than the pulse associated with a Doppler submode having a smaller energy balance.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pulses of the or each pair of pulses associated with the different Doppler submodes are spaced by a time gap chosen to be the smallest possible.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pulses define the same waveform.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pulses are emitted in the same direction during the same recurrence of the signal emission / reception step (110).

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: - during the transmission substep (112), the corresponding pulses are emitted using different slopes of the chirps used to emit them; - during the reception substep (113), echoes associated with different pulses are distinguished by determining the slopes of the corresponding chirps.

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: - during the emission substep (112), the corresponding pulses are emitted using different polarizations; - during the reception substep (113), echoes associated with different pulses are distinguished by determining their polarizations.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein a polarization is emitted for each pulse or a set of polarizations forming a signature is emitted for each pulse.

14. Target detection radar (10) comprising technical means (21, 22, 23) configured to implement the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

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