NATO Hits Radar at Tripoli Airport

The Associated Press reports:

NATO says its warplanes destroyed radar antennas at Tripoli International Airport that were being used by Moammar Gadhafi's regime for military purposes.

A NATO statement Monday claimed the civilian air traffic control radar was tracking NATO jets and the information was used to coordinate an air defense early-warning system.

NATO, which has bombed dozens of military radar sites in the four-month war, said the no-fly zone over Libya made it unnecessary to use the radar for civilian purposes.

Because of technical limitations, it is difficult to convert civilian radar to target aircraft in the same way as military radars. But civilian radar can be used to monitor the airspace and provide general information on the speed and altitude of any intruders.