Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC)

In December 2023 the United Kingdom, United States and Australia announced the creation of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) programme. DARC will enable detection, identification, and tracking of objects in Earth orbit. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is proposing to house the UK DARC site at the former Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire and to refurbish the site to accommodate new DARC facilities.

Between February and March 2026, the MOD ran a public consultation on the DARC project. Throughout the consultation, submissions from the public were reviewed for incorporation into the formal planning application.

In April 2026, a planning application was submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council for the installation of the radar antennas and associated buildings and infrastructure. In July 2026, Welsh Ministers issued direction that the planning application should be determined by them rather than Pembrokeshire County Council. The MOD continues to support the national decision-making process.

This short video contains an introduction to UK Space Command and the work that we do.

DARC will form the cornerstone of the UK’s Space Domain Awareness capability. This includes detecting, identifying and tracking objects in Earth orbit, including satellites, space debris, and asteroids. This is essential for ensuring our continued ability to safely and securely operate space-based services. This includes satellites which are used to provide critical infrastructure support in the UK, as laid out in the Government’s UK Space Strategy.

DARC will support the continued operation of critical space infrastructure that enables commerce, utility logistics, weather forecasting, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and national resilience; as well as everyday user services, such as as navigation, broadband internet, satellite cellular and timekeeping.