$200m DARC Site 2 in Wales Contract Awarded

Update 26th August 2024

The U.S. Department of Defense announced a contract for the construction of the new radar site in Wales. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. of Colorado Springs, Colorado received the contract on a sole-source basis. The company will design, integrate, and test Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) Site 2. The department noted that “Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 4, 2030.” The contract is valued at $200,250,000.

End of update.

12th August: UK Advances Space Defence with New Radar Site in Wales

The UK government has approved a plan to locate a new long-range ground-based radar (DARC) in Wales as part of the trilateral AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US. According to an August 7 statement from the UK Ministry of Defence, one of the three DARC radar stations will be located at Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire.

This decision is an essential step within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by AUKUS Defence Ministers in September 2023.

DARC Radars Building Timeline

The first radar station in Australia is already under construction at the Harold E. Holt Defence Site in the North West Cape and is projected to be operational in 2026.

The Welsh radar is scheduled to be operational in the next decade. The US still needs to confirm where its DARC radar will be located or when it will be built.

Under the arrangements, all DARC systems should be operational by the decade’s end.

Global Coverage For Defence Goals

Due to the unique geographical location of the three countries, DARC can provide global coverage, including detection of potential threats to defence or civilian space systems.

Unlike other UK international strategic space awareness initiatives, DARC aims for greater sensitivity, accuracy, power, and rapid tracking of objects in geosynchronous Earth orbit.

This will provide more excellent global monitoring to inform UK defence operations, bypassing some current capabilities’ current inclement weather conditions and daylight limitations.

The Ministry of Defence says these capabilities will benefit these countries’ land, air and maritime forces, protect critical infrastructure, and help the domestic construction and space industries.

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

DARC’s Environmental Impact Assessment

The final siting decision follows a comprehensive environmental impact assessment funded by the Ministry of Defence. However, local residents opposed the project due to concerns over the negative environmental impact and the site’s remote location.

We previously reported that residents had launched a campaign against plans to build 27 DARC space radars on the old RAF Brawdy site near the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Jim Scott co-founded Pembrokeshire Against Radar (Parc) and launched a campaign against the giant radar earlier this summer.

He said: “We reiterate our call for our local MP and Senedd members to state their position on this issue.

“This issue is likely to be a heavily defeated vote in the 2026 Senedd election as some major parties such as Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Greens have already come out strongly against Darc.”

Local activists say the Ministry of Defence report admits the project will mean 100 heavy lorries a day along the coastal road and through Newgale.

“We know the people of Pembrokeshire will disagree with this, but the road infrastructure simply does not exist for a project of this size,” said Mr Scott.

Dominic MacAskill of Stop the War said: “The Ministry of Defence’s claim to create high-paying jobs and security in space obscures the real purpose of DARC, which is to promote US military dominance in space and develop a dangerous Star Wars agenda.”

“This radar will damage Pembrokeshire National Park and adversely affect the vital tourism industry, but it will put Wales at the centre of a dangerous military space race.

“As one of the founding organisations in the fight against DARC, we are united, both peace campaigners and local communities, in our campaign to defeat this radar for the second time.”

Informational Campaign For Local Community

The government has committed to engaging with the local community to develop DARC proposals.

The MoD will hold two public information events on 13 and 14 September 2024 to engage with the local community before the statutory consultation period required by Pembrokeshire County Council.

These events will allow community members to learn about the DARC project, ask questions, and share their views. 

All relative information will also be available on a dedicated website from 16 September 2024.