MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Two anti-nuclear activists were sentenced to prison Friday for damaging an antenna the Navy uses to communicate with nuclear submarines.

      Bonnie Urfer and Michael Spong admitted using a handsaw to cut down three wooden poles supporting the 28-mile antenna. The damage disabled the link to the Navy's Trident submarines for a day.

      The activists argued that cutting the poles was permissible under national and international law because the antenna is part of an illegal weapons system. But a jury found them guilty of willfully damaging government property.

      Urfer was sentenced to six months in a federal prison; Spong was given a two-month term. Each was ordered to pay $7,492 restitution.

      Protesters have frequently targeted the site, contending the antenna, part of the Navy's ELF system, raises the risk of nuclear warfare.

      Project ELF, named for its extremely low frequency radio waves, uses an antenna network to transmit coded messages to submarines in deep waters around the world.

On the Net:

      U.S. District Court, Wisconsin Western District:
      http://www.wiw.uscourts.gov/