A method and system for generating images from projection data comprising inputting from at least one data receiving element first values representing correlated positional and recorded data; each of said first values forming a point in an array of k data points; forming an image by processing the projection data utilizing a pixel characterization imaging subsystem that combines the positional and recorded data to form the SAR imagery utilizing one of a back-projection algorithm or range migration algorithm; integrating positional and recorded data from many aperture positions, comprising: forming the complete aperture A0 for SAR image formation comprising collecting the return radar data, the coordinates of the receiver, and the coordinates of the transmitter for each position k along the aperture of N positions; forming an imaging grid comprising M image pixels wherein each pixel Pi in the imaging grid is located at coordinate (xP(i),yP(i), zP(i)); selecting and removing a substantial number of aperture positions to form a sparse aperture Ai; repeating the selecting and removing step for L iterations for each Ai; classifying each pixel in the image into either target class based on the statistical distribution of its amplitude across L iterations (1≦i≦L); whereby if an image pixel is classified so as to be associated with a physical object, its value is computed from its statistics; otherwise, the pixel is assumed to come from a non-physical object and is given the value of zero.