Method for determining distance to target using a multitone nonlinear radar system comprising providing a transmitter that transmits a signal comprising at least two predetermined frequency components; receiving transmitted signal upon reflection from target; determining the phase relationships of the frequency components when signal strikes target; determining distance the signal has travelled to target based upon the phase relationship of the frequency signal components at the time of reflection from target; computing the distance to target. A system comprising a transmitter subsystem that transmits radar signal comprising at least two frequency components; a receiver subsystem configured to receive a return signal comprising intermodulation and harmonic products; at least one processor configured to extract frequency samples from the return signal within a frequency range, apply a window function to the extracted frequency samples and perform an inverse fast Fourier transform on the resulting function to create a range profile.