Published 2 December 2023
Last updated 5 December 2023 — See all updates
New space capability programme to improve global
security.
Cawdor Barracks in Wales identified as preferred UK site,
conditional on Environmental Impact Assessment and Town planning
approval.
All three global radar sites to be operational by the end
of the decade.
A new landmark radar initiative with the UK’s closest partners
will increase UK security by being able to better detect, track
and identify objects in deep space.
The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) programme –
unveiled by the respective Defence Secretaries of Australia, the
United Kingdom and the United States - will provide 24/7,
all-weather capabilities that will increase AUKUS nations’
ability to characterise objects deep in space up to 22,000 miles
(36,000 kilometres) away from earth.
DARC will see a global network of three ground-based radars to be
jointly operated that will assist in critical space-traffic
management and contribute to the global surveillance of
satellites in deep space. The unique geographic positioning of
the three nations means that DARC can provide global coverage,
including detecting potential threats to defence or civilian
space systems.
As the danger of space warfare increases, this landmark
capability will benefit all three nations’ land, air, and
maritime forces, as well as protecting critical infrastructure
and benefitting our domestic construction and space
industries.
UK Defence Secretary, said:
As the world becomes more contested and the danger of space
warfare increases, the UK and our allies must ensure we have the
advanced capabilities we need to keep our nations’ safe.
Today’s announcement of a global radar network (DARC), based
across the UK, US and Australia will do just that. Empowering the
UK to detect, track and identify objects in deep space.
Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire Wales has been identified as the
UK’s preferred site for DARC. The final siting decision is
conditional on the results of the ongoing comprehensive
MOD-funded Environmental Impact Assessment and subsequent Town
Planning application.
Cawdor Barracks is currently the home to a British Army Signals
Regiment which is due to relocate from 2028. Retention of the
Base by the MOD for DARC is likely to boost the local
Pembrokeshire economy, creating employment during the
construction phase and providing up to 100 longer-term jobs.
Alongside DARC’s defence benefits, it also has the capability to
monitor and protect the essential services that rely on
satellites in space, including everyday aspects of life such as
communications and navigation.
This will play a crucial role in AUKUS’ ability to preserve peace
and deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific and the rest of the world.
These new radar systems have higher sensitivity, better accuracy,
increased capacity, and more agile tracking than current radars
and optical systems tracking objects in deep space orbit. This
will see greater global monitoring provided to inform UK defence
operations, bypassing the current inclement weather and daylight
limitations of some current capabilities.
The first DARC radar site, which is being constructed in
Australia, is expected to be operational in 2026, with all three
sites operational by the end of the decade.
The DARC programme follows the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding in September 2023. DARC will enhance our collective
space domain awareness, which is a key objective of the UK’s
Defence
Space Strategy, published last year.
AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership between
Australia, the UK, and the US to support a free and open
Indo-Pacific by strengthening regional global security. The
development of DARC is a significant step forward for
delivery of enhanced security capabilities between the partner
nations.
