ANTI-ARMS campaigners have accused the UK and Welsh Governments of turning west Wales into a centre for military drone development following protests in Cardigan and Aberporth.

West Wales Against Arms said its members took part in the Red Line for Palestine action in Cardigan on Saturday (May 23), before staging a vigil outside MOD Aberporth on Sunday (May 24).

The group says the demonstrations were aimed at drawing attention to the role of defence companies QinetiQ and Tekever in the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicle technology in west Wales.

The protest comes after the announcement of a £50m Wales Defence Growth Deal, which ministers say will support high-skilled jobs and strengthen Wales’ role in autonomous technology.

Campaigners, however, argue that public money should be spent on health, housing and public services rather than expanding military testing and drone development.

A spokesperson for West Wales Against Arms said: “From Cardigan’s march on Saturday to Aberporth’s vigil on Sunday, the message was the same. We see what is happening. We see who is enabling it. And we refuse to be quiet.

“This is not what we want for West Wales or for any part of the UK. It will leave less investment into health and housing and keep Wales complicit in the arms trade and the genocide in Palestine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.”

MOD Aberporth, near Cardigan Bay, has long been used for the testing of weapons systems and unmanned aerial systems.

QinetiQ operates at the site, while Tekever owns West Wales Airport. The two companies have previously announced plans to work together on developing uncrewed systems capability in the UK.

The UK Government has said the Wales Defence Growth Deal will help Welsh communities benefit from high-skilled roles, support small and medium-sized businesses, and improve access to defence contracts.

But campaigners say the deal raises serious ethical questions about the direction of public investment in Wales, particularly while the conflict in Gaza continues.

West Wales Against Arms has also published a pamphlet, Exposing the War Machine in Aberporth, setting out its claims about the defence industry in the area.

PARC AGAINST DARC has submitted an official request asking the new Welsh Government to call in the planning application for the proposed DARC radar array in Pembrokeshire.

The campaign group, which was set up in 2024 to oppose the US military-linked Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability project, says the decision is too significant to be left to Pembrokeshire County Council alone.

Campaigners say the development, proposed for Cawdor Barracks near Brawdy, would have national implications for Wales, the environment, tourism, the local economy and military strategy.

The request follows the appointment of Rhun ap Iorwerth as Wales’ new First Minister and the naming of Siân Gwenllian as Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, Housing and Planning.

PARC said the election of a Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government marked “an extremely promising step forward” for the campaign, citing Plaid’s previous opposition to the scheme.

Planning decision

The Ministry of Defence submitted the planning application for the radar array to Pembrokeshire County Council in April.

The application is currently open for public comments, with the publicity period running until Wednesday (May 20).

The DARC project would involve the construction of 27 radar dishes close to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Campaigners have described the proposal as a “military monstrosity” and claim it would allow the United States to project military power into space from Welsh soil.

They also dispute claims that the scheme would bring major local employment benefits, saying the MOD’s own environmental information describes the number of jobs as “low” and “not significant”.

PARC argues that any limited job creation would be outweighed by the removal of hundreds of personnel from Cawdor Barracks.

‘Call it in’

The campaign says the Welsh Government should take over the decision because of the scale and significance of the proposal.

In its request, PARC argues that DARC is “clearly a nationally significant development” and should be considered in the wider context of Wales’ national priorities.

The group is urging members of the public to use its online tool to ask Welsh ministers to call in the application.

PARC said: “We are thrilled that Plaid Cymru, an anti-DARC government, has taken the reins in Cardiff.

“The election of the new Welsh Government is a huge and seismic development from our perspective.

“Today, as we submit our official call-in request to the newly formed Welsh administration, we know that as we fight to save our precious St Davids peninsula from being turned into a massive military target, we do so in the knowledge that the party in control of Wales has a proud and strong history of standing up for the people of Wales and standing for peace.”

Public opposition

PARC says public opposition remains overwhelming.

The campaign claims that an updated MOD consultation summary shows 498 public responses were received, with 401 using PARC’s template objection email and the remaining summarised comments also appearing to oppose the scheme.

The group says it is preparing a 150,000-word planning objection, covering visual, economic, military, strategic and consultation concerns.

Campaigners also point to protests, widespread media coverage and a petition with around 19,000 signatures opposing the project.

Plaid Cymru figures have previously spoken against DARC.

In April 2024, Cefin Campbell tabled a statement of opinion in the Senedd opposing the proposal, while Plaid Westminster leader Liz Saville-Roberts later submitted an Early Day Motion at Westminster.

Mr Campbell said at the time: “Plaid Cymru has a long and honourable history of promoting peace around the globe and opposing militarism at every level.

“We cannot therefore support the construction of DARC and give space to American militarism on our land.”

PARC said the campaign was “still far from won” but had taken “a huge step change in the right direction” following the election result.

THE MOD has submitted a formal planning application for the controversial DARC space radar scheme at Cawdor Barracks near Brawdy.

The Ministry of Defence wants to install 27 radar antennas and associated infrastructure at the former RAF site as part of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, known as DARC.

The project would form part of a global network of sensors across the UK, USA and Australia under the AUKUS defence partnership.

The system is designed to track satellites, space debris and other objects in orbit, providing 360-degree coverage of the sky in all weather conditions and at all times of day.

Cawdor Barracks was named as the preferred UK site in late 2023 by the then Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

A supporting statement submitted with the application says the scheme would improve the UK’s ability to detect, identify and track objects in Earth orbit.

It states: “This capability is critical to protect and defend the services provided by satellites, ensuring continuity and resilience against collisions or debris-related incidents.”

The document also says the loss of GPS services alone could cost the UK an estimated £1.422 billion per day.

The application says the scheme would create around 90 full-time equivalent construction jobs and 60 full-time equivalent operational jobs, including maintenance and security roles.

The MoD says the project would help protect critical national infrastructure in orbit and provide data to UK Government departments, the Met Office and the UK Space Agency.

However, the plans remain controversial locally.

St Davids City Council recently voted unanimously to oppose the pre-application consultation proposals.

Objectors have raised concerns about the impact of the development, with protests taking place outside Cawdor Barracks and County Hall in Haverfordwest.

Labour Senedd candidate Eluned Morgan has also called for the scheme to be put on hold while Donald Trump is President of the United States.

Pembrokeshire County Council will now consider the application.