Consider a circular antenna array (UCA) with $$N$$ antenna elements as part of the CW bistatic radar system.

For each element we receive a signal of length $$L$$: $$x_n[k]$$, $$k=1...L$$, $$n = 1...N$$.

Оne of the antenna elements is directed towards the transmitter. Thus, we can find cross ambiguity functions (CAF) as cross-correlation functions between the reference channel and the remaining $$N-1$$ channels. Further, in each CAF, we detect targets and determine the ranges to them. My question is how to define directions on a target.

Standard explanations include beamforming. The way I understood this method: the samples from each of the channels, except for the reference for same time point, are used to form the directional diagram, i.e. from the $$N \times L$$ of the signal samples, $$L$$ diagrams are formed. Each directional diagram includes lobes directed to all targets as well as side lobes.

How to find out which direction corresponds to each target with its own range and how to exclude side lobes if their amplitude can be higher than the amplitude of the lobe directed at a target with a weak reflected signal?