Welsh ministers will decide whether to approve a 20m-high space radar installation at Cawdor Barracks in Brawdy, proposed by the MoD as part of the AUKUS partnership. The plan would install 27 dishes under the DARC programme to improve deep-space tracking and protect satellite networks. Campaigners say the project could further US Space Force interests and escalate the militarisation of space, while the government argues it is vital for space situational awareness. The Plaid Cymru-led Welsh government said call-in powers are used only rarely.
Ministers To Decide On 20m-High Space Radar At Pembrokeshire's Cawdor Barracks
The Welsh government can step in if a planning application "raises issues of more than local importance" [Getty Images]
Welsh government ministers will make the final decision on a Ministry of Defence plan to build a large space radar installation at Cawdor Barracks in Brawdy, Pembrokeshire.
The MoD has proposed installing 27 radar dishes under the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) programme. Each dish would stand about 66ft (20m) tall and measure roughly 49ft (15m) across. The site is intended to support deep-space tracking and would form part of the trilateral AUKUS security partnership with the United States and Australia.
Planning Call-In And Local Context
Fewer than a dozen planning applications out of roughly 25,000 submitted in Wales are "called in" by ministers each year. A call-in transfers the final decision from the local planning authority to national ministers — a power reserved for proposals that raise issues of more than local importance.
Supporters' Case
The UK government has defended DARC as a vital capability to track objects in deep space and to protect satellites, communications and navigation networks from collisions, debris and other threats. Officials say enhanced radar coverage would bolster national and allied space situational awareness.
Opposition And Concerns
Campaigners from the People Against Radar Campaign (PARC) welcomed the decision to call in the application but warned the project could advance US military interests. PARC said the system is "being developed for the US Space Force," and described DARC as "a significant escalation in the militarisation of space."
PARC: "DARC is being developed for the US Space Force which was created under Donald Trump... That is why DARC has been described as a significant escalation in the militarisation of space."
The Plaid Cymru-led Welsh government declined to comment on whether it will call in the application. Its website notes that any person may request a call-in, but that a request "does not mean it will be refused" and that call-in powers are used only infrequently.
Next Steps
Ministers will now consider the planning application. No decision date has been announced publicly; interested parties and local residents will be watching for further announcements from the Welsh government and the MoD.
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