A method for optimizing the elevational pointing of an antenna of an airborne radar system at an altitude h includes an antenna and processing and calculation means, the method comprising: a. selecting an area of interest b. calculating atmospheric losses Lref at a reference altitude href at the reference range Dref and calculating a reference criterion Kref=−40 log10 (Dref); c. for each possible elevational pointing distance of the antenna Dpt from the area of interest, calculating the antenna elevation S that makes it possible to target the distance Dpt via the centre of the antenna; d. for each distance D from the region of interest, calculating the angle θ at which the antenna observes the point of the ground at the distance D and calculating a criterion; 1. K(D)=Ge(θ)+Gr(θ)−40 log10 D+Lref(href,Dref)−Latmo(h,D) 2. where Ge(θ),Gr(θ) are respectively the gains of the antenna that are normalized at emission and at reception; e. calculating all of the distances D that, for this pointing distance Dpt, satisfy the relationship K(D)>Kref so as to obtain the start and the end of the sub-swath actually able to be used by the radar system; and calculating the actually usable sub-swaths that are to be juxtaposed (A, B, C) in order to cover the whole of the area of interest without discontinuities.