Target recovery in multiple input multiple output (mimo) radar system

A Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radar system and method of using it for target recovery are disclosed. The MIMO radar system comprises an array of distributed radiating elements configured to transmit signals towards a target scene, an array of distributed receiving elements configured to receive signals backscattered from the target scene, a sampling module configured to sample the signals received, and a hardware processor configured to recover from the samples position parameters of one or more targets. Range, direction and optionally velocity, are estimated via simultaneous 2D or 3D sparse matrix recovery, wherein all channels defined by transmitter-receiver pairs are processed together. The digital processing may be applied either in Nyquist or sub-Nyquist scheme, reducing the number of samples, transmit and/or receive antennas. The radar system is optionally further enhanced by cognitive transmission scheme where transmitted signals are distributed over a wide frequency range with vacancy bands left therein.