Syria asserts new Damascus airport radar is strictly for civilian use

Syrian aviation authorities have categorically stated that a recently activated radar system at Damascus International Airport serves exclusively civilian purposes, countering reports that suggested potential military applications. The clarification aims to dispel regional tensions surrounding the upgrade.

An official denial of military function

In a statement released late Wednesday, Omar Hosari, the head of Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, confirmed the nature of the equipment. "The radar recently commissioned at Damascus International Airport is a purely civil radar, dedicated exclusively to civil air navigation and air traffic management purposes," he stated. The authority emphasized that the system operates under its full control and complies with both national laws and international aviation standards.

Part of an infrastructure modernization program

The statement framed the new radar as a key component of an ongoing program to modernize Syria's civil aviation infrastructure. The stated goals are to enhance overall air safety and improve the efficiency of national airspace management. "It has no military function or non-civil application whatsoever," the authority insisted, reiterating Syria's commitment to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Regional context and Israeli media claims

The Syrian announcement comes amid heightened regional sensitivities and follows claims in Israeli media outlets. These reports had suggested the new radar capability could pose a significant operational challenge to Israeli air force activities in the region, framing it as a potential military asset. Syria's aviation authority explicitly rejected "any attempt to politicize or militarize civil aviation infrastructure." The incident underscores the fragile security environment in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the technical specifications of civilian projects are often scrutinized through a military lens, a dynamic that affects the calculations of all regional actors, including Türkiye.