An air data system comprises a light source that emits a pulsed beam, and an optical transceiver coupled to the light source and configured to receive the pulsed beam. The transceiver is operative to transmit the pulsed beam into an interrogation air region; and receive and collect scattered pulses from the interrogation air region. An optical modulation device is coupled to the transceiver, and is configured to receive the collected scattered pulses from the transceiver and output modulated pulses. An optical detector is coupled to the modulation device and receives the modulated pulses from the modulation device. The modulation device has a nanosecond-based rise/fall time that is synchronized and delayed with respect to the pulsed beam. The modulation device provides for stroboscopic detection of a volume of the interrogation air region based on the modulated pulses received by the detector and having an exposure time of multiple pulse periods.