Army barracks in Wales to host deep space radar programme

An army barracks in Wales is to be redeveloped to host a deep space radar initiative.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire will be the home of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (Darc).

Darc will detect, track and identify objects in deep space in collaboration with radars from the UK’s allies.

The programme will see a network of ground-based radars in Australia and the US as well as the UK to provide global space monitoring, increasing the AUKUS nations’ ability to track objects in deep space up to around 36,000km away from earth.

The MoD say the capability will benefit these nations’ land, air and maritime forces, as well as protecting critical infrastructure and benefitting domestic construction and space industries.

Security

Defence Secretary John Healey said the proposed redevelopment “secures jobs at home and defence capabilities for the future”.

He said: “Space plays a crucial role in our daily lives – used by everything from our mobile phones to banking services. It is also used by UK defence to conduct vital tasks such as supporting military operations, navigating forces and gathering intelligence.

“This new radar programme will not only enhance our awareness of deep space, but also help protect our space assets alongside our closest partners.”

Cawdor Barracks has been both a Royal Air Force flying station and a Royal Navy base.

The site is currently home to 14 Signal Regiment, with the MoD in 2016 saying that the barracks would close no earlier than 2028.

The redevelopment of the site for Darc would keep the site open, with a permanent presence of up to 100 personnel to operate and maintain the radar capability.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said it is “an important project for Wales”.

She said: “By enhancing our awareness and understanding of what is happening in space, we can continue to ensure it remains safe, sustainable and accessible to all.”

The Government has committed to engagement with the local community in developing proposals for Darc, saying there will be two local public information events prior to the statutory consultation period that is required by Pembrokeshire County Council.

Members of the MoD Darc programme team will attend these events to discuss the proposals, answer any questions and hear local community views.

Controversy

PARC Against DARC launched a just few weeks ago and already boasts a petition nearing its next target of 15,000 signatures. The public launch meeting was the biggest in Solva’s history.

With a huge level of public support behind them, campaigners told us: “We are extremely confident that public pressure will put a halt to these ill thought out military proposals.

“The MOD’s own scoping report admits that the project would mean 100 heavy lorry trips per day up our coast road and through Newgale itself. That would mean 200 lorry trips per day including the return journey!

“We know the people of Pembrokeshire wont go along with this, but in any case the road infrastructure simply does not exist for this level of project.

“As a campaign we have every confidence that this military monstrosity will never see the light of day. We repeat our call for our local MP and MS’s to declare their personal position on this. The issue is likely to be a big vote-loser in the 2026 Senedd elections with some major parties such as Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Greens already having come out staunchly against DARC.

“This is no good for Pembrokeshire, this is no good for anywhere.  Local Politicians need to get on the right side of this before they are publicly forced to, not afterwards.”

Meeting

Following the digital launch of the campaign, a public meeting was held in Solva Memorial Hall on Thursday June 27, which organisers say was ‘ram-packed’ with concerned residents who are gearing up to stop the Radar.

Several speakers took to the stage and spoke to many of the key arguments laid out on the group’s campaign website which states that after fighting off a similar campaign in the 90’s which led to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher being forced to announce cancellation of the project; “we are back, with a new generation, a new purpose, and a fight we are ready to win!”.

The meeting began with a screening of a new ‘Movie Trailer’ style campaign video as a call to action which is available on the PARC Youtube channel.

“Jobs at risk”

Emma Bowen, General Manager of the Retreats Group of local hotels spoke about the impact the Radar would have on tourism.

She said: “As an accommodation provider set in the UK’s only truly coastal national park, we are totally reliant on leisure tourists who come to enjoy the coast path, beaches, history and culture.

“If you were looking for a holiday location, would you choose somewhere next to 27 enormous radar structures? If DARC were to go ahead, it would negatively impact our business putting 75 jobs at risk, not to mention the secondary effect on over 40 plus suppliers and contractors.”

Study

Two short films were screened which had been created by leading scientists in the field of non ionising radiation. One outlined a study by Dr M. Peleg which had been conducted using research from cases of soldiers who had been posted to work in close proximity to the radars.

The author’s suggestions for some of the ways to mitigate any potential risks associated with powerful radar would either be by placing large valleys between the population and the radars—which is not possible because the Brawdy site is on the tallest hill in the area—or by implementing a very large exclusion zone.

One attendee said: “A chilling quote from one of the Israeli soldiers described how this felt in the field, saying, ‘When you’re near a radar you’re literally feeling your body boiling from the inside out… if you try to imagine what happens to food when it is in the microwave, it is like that. You feel the heat coming in waves’.

“We now know that as a result of this, Israeli soldiers have come to nickname the Iron Dome ‘the toaster.”

History

Roy Jones who headed up a similar campaign in the 90’s spoke about the history of the campaign began by giving a summary of the DARC project, highlighting that it was part of AUKUS the three way security pact between the US, UK and Australia.

Drawing attention to the proposed positioning of the Radars and the elevated nature of the proposed site he explained: “This means that the massive brightly coloured array would be visible from many vantage points in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. A giant radar farm capable of scanning a third of every square millimetre of space around the Earth would make it the highest risk radio-frequency radiation project ever to be sited on British soil.”

He added: “The MOD funded scoping report, published on the Pembrokeshire County Council website reveals dangers during the construction phase. It notes the presence of buried unexploded ordnance, radioactive materials such as uranium and Strontium 90 and extensive asbestos contamination which the report warns has the potential to migrate into building foundations and leech into the groundwater and from there into Brandy Brook and the Solva River.

“The report also estimates that building the antenna foundations would lead to 100 lorries a day driving through Newgale beach, 200 if you include the return trip. The 100 jobs promised by the MOD would actually mean a net loss of 300 jobs if you factor in the scheduled departure of the British Army from Brawdy in 2028.”

Roy went on to describe the great history of the previously victorious campaign which included big rallies, fundraisers, public meetings and a massive community which ultimately snowballed to such a level that it lead to the cancellation of the project.

A nation of peace

CND Cymru’s Secretary Dylan Lewis-Rowlands highlighted the dangers of military escalation from the US saying: “CND Cymru is proud to support the PARC against DARC campaign.

“We have always opposed the militarisation of space, and the further militarisation of Cymru. The DARC initiative – part of the nuclear AUKUS alliance – is another step in this militarisation.”

“This grassroots campaign is all about putting the needs of our communities in Pembrokeshire and Wales before the interests of the US’s military ambitions. Together, our voices can unite with those in the US and Australia, and others across the UK to demonstrate the need for peace, not further militarisation and war.”

Wildlife concerns

Michial Davies of The South & West Wales Wildlife trust outlined the impacts the Radar installation would have on Manx Shearwaters and other wildlife telling the audience: “Lights and Manx shearwaters don’t mix.

“Brawdy is in sight from Skomer, the most important site in the world for this iconic seabird, Pembrokeshire’s “albatross”.

“Already, significant numbers of fledging birds, starting their migration to South America, fly inland, towards our lights. Darc will only make this worse causing more avoidable deaths.”

Find out more or get involved at the campaign website.