The Welsh government has called in a planning application for a 20m-high radar station at Cawdor Barracks, taking the final decision out of local council hands.
Key facts
- •The proposed radar station at Cawdor Barracks would feature 27 dishes standing 20 meters tall.
- •The project is part of the AUKUS security partnership involving the UK, US, and Australia.
- •The Welsh government will make the final planning decision instead of the local council.
- •The People Against Radar Campaign (PARC) opposes the project, citing concerns regarding space militarization.
- •The UK government states the radar is needed to track objects in deep space and protect satellite networks.
Welsh government ministers will decide whether to approve a proposed radar station at Cawdor Barracks in Brawdy, Pembrokeshire. The Ministry of Defence plans to install 27 radar dishes at the site as part of the trilateral AUKUS security partnership with the United States and Australia. The project, known as Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), is designed to track objects in deep space to protect satellite, communication, and navigation networks.
By the numbers
Project Scope and Purpose
The proposed radar installation would consist of 27 dishes, each measuring 66ft (20m) in height and 49ft (15m) in width. The UK government maintains that the facility is vital for national security and the protection of space-based infrastructure.
Opposition and Ministerial Review
The People Against Radar Campaign (PARC) has opposed the project, citing concerns over the militarization of space and the facility's connection to the US Space Force. The group welcomed the Welsh government's decision to call in the application, a process that occurs fewer than a dozen times annually out of approximately 25,000 planning applications in Wales. The Welsh government stated that the call-in power is used infrequently and only for proposals deemed to have more than local importance.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Science & Environment.
