JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- A state-of-the-art radar system that has sat idle for years at a local airport has never been used because there has been no one to operate it, officials said.

The Digital Airport Surveillance Radar, or DASR, was built at the Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in 2004 with $8 million from the Department of Defense.

"It's been out there spinning, ready to go. But, there's no manpower," said airport manager Scott Voelker.

Voelker said for a small airport like Johnstown, DASR is a big deal. It would help air traffic controllers track airplanes up to 120 miles away, instead of five or 10 miles. It would give pilots the weather forecast an hour before it happened.

The radar system was built with the help of earmarks form Rep. John Murtha and was paid for by the Department of Defense. When it was built five years ago, DASR was expected to give an economic boost by creating 14 air traffic control jobs and lure more and bigger planes into the region.

But, because it's also a training ground for the Pennsylvania National Guard, it's never been manned.

A representative for Murtha blamed a personnel issue with the National Guard. A representative for the Pennsylvania National Guard said officials there have asked headquarters repeatedly for the personnel, but with a shrinking force they haven't been able to authorize it.

Both representatives for Murtha and the National Guard said the issue remains a top priority.

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