AN ARMY barracks is to be redeveloped into a high-tech defence system to help protect the UK from “space warfare”.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the Cawdor Barracks in south-west Wales will be the home of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (Darc).
Darc will detect, track and identify objects as small as a football in deep space in collaboration with radars from the UK’s allies.
The 27 radar dishes planned for the St Davids peninsula in Pembrokeshire will be 20 metres high.
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.
They will increase the AUKUS nations’ ability to track objects in deep space up to around 22,000 miles (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.
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.”
China’s influence
Under President Xi Jinping‘s leadership, China spent roughly $14billion (11.2billion) on its ambitious space programme in 2023, according to Statista.
Speaking to reporters at the 39th Space Symposium earlier this month, Gen. Stephen Whiting of US Space Command, said: “Frankly, China is moving at a breathtaking speed.
“Since 2018, China has more than tripled their on-orbit intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites.
“And with these systems, they’ve built a kill web over the Pacific Ocean to find, fix, track and, yes, target United States and allied military capabilities.”
The US Marine Corps defines a “kill web” as “a dynamic network that seamlessly integrates intelligence and warfare capabilities across various domains, including land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.”
The country has “built a range of counterspace weapons, from reversible jamming all the way up to kinetic hit-to-kill direct-ascent and co-orbital ASATs,” according to Whiting.
As part of global efforts to set-up permanent habitation facilities on the Moon, China has also revealed plans to take its ‘all seeing’ Skynet surveillance off-planet.
Nasa administrator Bill Nelson has been outspoken about his fears surrounding China’s activities in space – which Beijing says is purely scientific.
Nelson this week warned that China is hiding other military projects in space, which could see Beijing attempt to claim parts of the Moon as it’s own territory.
The Government has committed to engagement with the local community in developing proposals for Darc.
They said 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.
However local campaigners launched a campaign in May to stop the plans called Parc Against Darc.
They called it “one of the most health-hazardous, tourism-ruining, skyline-blighting military installations ever proposed anywhere in the UK”.
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