Radar planes sent to Egypt

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 6

Radar planes sent to Egypt

NZPA Washington The United States has sent radar surveillance planes to Egypt and has moved an aircraft carrier battle group to counter a Libyan, aircraft build-up apparently, aimed at Sudan, Pentagon sources disclosed yesterday However, President Reagan, answering a question at a news conference, said: “There has been no naval movement at all” and that “it had never been contemplated” that United States forces would be used in'the event of a clash'.

The statement appeared to put the President squarely at odds not only with the sources, but with his own official spokesman, the deputy White House press secretary, Mr Larry Speakes, who said earlier that there had been fleet movements in the area. However, an Administration official said after the news conference that the President meant to refer only to the present Egyptian exercises when he said that there had been no naval movements.

The carrier Nimitz and her escorts are now operating north of the Gulf of Sidra, waters claimed by Libya but held by the United States to be international, said the Pentagon sources. According to the Pentagon sources, the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, had moved air units to bases nr Chad, the adjacent country to the south where Libya has been supporting one faction in a civil war. Those units appeared to threaten Sudan, Chad’s eastern neighbour, said the sources.

Egypt has deployed units of its own air force to bases in southern Egypt, north of Chad, to be in a position to counter any Libyan moves against the Sudan. Several American A.W.A.C.S. — Airborne Warnings and Control System — planes have been sent to Egypt from Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

These loaded with electronic equipment, can see hundreds of kilometres by radar and can direct air battles from far away.