MLG MUST DIVERT DUE TO RADAR OTS FOR APCH.

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IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS RPT WILL BE USED TO JUSTIFY THE NEED FOR AN APCH AT EARECKSON AFS; AK (SYA) THAT DOES NOT USE THE SYA DME. I WAS ON A MIL CHARTER FLT FROM ADAK NAS TO EARECKSON AFS; AK. THE WX AT SYA WAS 17 SCATTERED; 20 BROKEN; 45 OVCST; VISIBILITY 7; RAINSHOWERS. SINCE ALL APCHS AT SYA REQUIRE THE USE OF THE SYA DME (THE RADAR IS OUT PERMANENTLY); THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE TO US WAS TO DSND IN THE CHARTED HOLDING PATTERN OVER THE SYA VOR. THE LOWEST ALLOWABLE ALT FOR THIS PATTERN IS 2500 FT (AS ASSIGNED BY ZAN). IT WAS OUR HOPE THAT WHILE HOLDING; A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS COULD BE FOUND ALLOWING A VFR DSCNT WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT. ALTHOUGH BREAKS WERE PRESENT; NONE WERE LARGE ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO DSND. TODAY; THE SYA WX WAS WELL ABOVE APCH MINIMUMS; BUT WITHOUT THE DME; OUR OPTIONS WERE SEVERELY LIMITED. IN MY OPINION; A NON- FAF TYPE OF APCH USING THE SYA VOR COULD EASILY BE DEVELOPED. HAVING THIS TYPE OF APCH TODAY WOULD HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE RADAR HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE AIR FORCE LEAVING THE STATION. IT HAS BEEN OUT FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS AND WILL NOT BE REACTIVATED. RPTR FEELS THERE IS NO TERRAIN PROB WITH A VOR APCH SINCE MOST OF THE APCH WOULD BE OVER WATER. THERE ARE SOME 200 FT RADAR ANTENNAS BUT NOT MUCH ELSE THAT WOULD BE A PROB. ACFT WAS A B737; SO IT SVCS A GREAT MANY PEOPLE AND THE AREA SHOULD REALLY HAVE AN INST APCH THAT IS USABLE.