Abstract: An SSR reply decoding system for separating pulse codes of a series of closely-spaced or overlapping SSR replies is disclosed. A delay line is connected to receive pulses representing the leading edge of each SSR reply code pulse. The delay line has a length corresponding to at least two bracket lengths of an SSR reply. A bracket decoder is connected to respective taps of the delay line for determining the beginning and end of a first SSR reply. A phantom reply detector is connected to the remaining taps for inhibiting the bracket decoder when two replies are represented by pulses in the delay lines, one of the replies having a pulse space from the pulse of another reply equal to a framing pulse period for an SSR reply. The phantom reply detector therefore inhibits the detection of phantom replies. As a discriminate for determining when pulses having the spacing of a framing period belong to different replies, azimuth data is provided which will permit discrimination of these phantom conditions.