AbstractAn application to HF radio links of the constant false alarm rate synchronization method based on both preamble detection and over sampling at the receiver is proposed and discussed. The method provides both frame and bit synchronization: the former is achieved by correlating the received samples with a reference preamble pattern; the latter by over sampling the incoming signal. A closed form expression of the probability of miss is derived for the general case and a statistical analysis of the synchronization method applied to HF transmissions is carried out on a simulation basis. Several curves which show the distributions of probability of miss for different propagation conditions and different fade margins are included. Inspection of these results shows that the reliability of the synchronization method has to be improved through the introduction of a suitable synchronization strategy involving a certain number of pre‐alarm state