Welsh Government Ministers to Decide on New 20m High Space Radar Station in Pembrokeshire
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is proposing the construction of 27 radar antennas at Cawdor Barracks in Brodie.
The radar dish will stand 66 feet (20 meters) tall and 49 feet (15 meters) wide, contributing to the trilateral AUKUS security partnership with the governments of the US and Australia.
In Wales, fewer than 12 out of approximately 25,000 planning applications each year are escalated to ministers for final decision-making, as opposed to local councils.
The activist group People Against Radar Campaign (PARC) has welcomed this move, arguing that the project could enable U.S. President Donald Trump to exert control over space activities from Wales.
The UK government has previously highlighted the significance of Deep Space Advanced Radar Capabilities (DARC) for tracking deep space objects and safeguarding satellites, as well as for communications and navigation networks.
However, PARC contends that DARC is primarily being developed for the U.S. Space Force, established amid a significant increase in U.S. military spending since President Trump took office.
“This is why DARC is viewed as a critical escalation in the militarization of space,” the report asserts.
The Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government has opted not to comment on the application escalation process.
According to the Website, external, any individual can request that their planning applications be reviewed, but “that does not guarantee refusal.”
“Summary powers are rarely exercised and only when a proposal raises issues of more than local significance,” the ministry clarified.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk