The operational Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept (DARC) at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Credit: Craig Weiman / Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has laid out plans to redevelop Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire, Wales to house what has been described as a “landmark” radar initiative known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC).

In 2016, the MoD announced that Cawdor Barracks, home to the 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), would close and this is currently planned to take place in 2028. Its redevelopment helps keep the site open, with a permanent presence of up to 100 personnel to operate DARC.

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This is a strategic Pillar II initiative among Australia, the UK and the US – partners in the trilateral AUKUS alliance. It provides 360° global space monitoring to detect, track, identify and characterise objects in deep space, within the geosynchronous equatorial orbit, up to around 36,000km away from Earth.

Established in December 2023, DARC leverages the geography of the three countries to push space domain awareness further. Its ability to provide global monitoring extends beyond inclement weather and daylight, which are limitations of current ground-based optical systems.

However, DARC technology was first developed by technical specialists from Johns Hopkins University working with the US Space Force in New Mexico in March 2022. At the time, it was said that this sparse array of dish antennas would become the “largest-ever tracking radar system”.

Space assets

“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,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey.

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Critical space-based capabilities will only increase as the new domain has proven a useful enabler for civil and military operations.

On 31 July, Nato unveiled its plans to fund a new initiative – currently worth $2.5m (£1.96m) – to make the internet less vulnerable to disruption by rerouting the flow of information into space if undersea cables are attacked or accidentally severed.

This has proven to be an enduring vulnerability for the West after incidents such as the sabotage of two Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.