A group of campaigners are 'demanding the demilitarisation' of west Wales, claiming people don't want drones tested in Cardigan Bay.

West Wales Against Arms is taking aim at West Wales Airport and other sites around Aberporth, which are some of the biggest employers in the county, developing drone technology.

WWAA say they speak on behalf of the residents of west Wales who 'will not accept weapons of war and death being developed and tested in our communities' and do so 'in solidarity with Palestine'.

MOD Aberporth Parcllyn
The entrance to the MOD Qinetiq site in Parcllyn near Aberporth (Google Maps)

Ian Hicks from the group said: "West Wales Airport in Aberporth has become an international centre for the testing of weapons of war and surveillance technologies.

"This development has raised significant concerns among local citizens regarding the militarisation of the area and its impact on our community.

"The airspace that WWA, now owned by Portuguese-run drone and AI-systems company Tekever, offers has been stated as being ‘crucial to the advancement of military drone technology in the UK.’

"QinetiQ have been issued at least nine licences by the UK government to sell its weapons technology to Israel, the most recent for £14 million.

The protestors waved Palestine flags outside the workshop and held banners which said 'Welsh Gov and QinetiQ - blood on their hands' and 'no genocide in our names'
Protestors waving Palestine flags outside the workshop this simmer and held banners which said 'Welsh Gov and QinetiQ - blood on their hands' and 'no genocide in our names' (Submitted)

"We, the residents of West Wales, do not want our skies used to test technology that helps Israel commit genocide.

"We demand the demilitarisation of West Wales and the development of peaceful, sustainable enterprises to provide education, employment, health, and fulfilment for all."

Military technology has been tested at Aberporth since the Second World War with the Qinetiq site in Parcllyn, formerly the RAE, employing around 200 people.

The Cardigan Bay danger area provides a secure military testing and training area, with activities including low flying aircraft, missile evaluation, laser firing and bombing.

Wildcat HMA Mk2 first guided firing of the anti-ship Sea Venom missile. The Royal Navy’s maritime attack helicopters will soon pack an even bigger punch after a milestone firing of a new missile designed to destroy enemy warships and attack craft. The Wildcat HMA Mk2 can already fire Sting Ray torpedoes for hitting underwater threats and lightweight Marlet missiles for taking out boat swarms or small ships. But, so far, the Wildcats have not been able to target larger warships, like corvettes. The Royal Navy has now completed the first guided firing of the anti-ship Sea Venom missile – which packs ten times the punch of Martlet, with the design of destroying more heavily armoured ships – on a target vessel at the Aberporth range in Wales. Lieutenant Commander Robin Kenchington, from the Royal Navy’s test and evaluation squadron 744 Naval Air Squadron, said: “It was fantastic to see a full end-to-end demonstration of the missile."
Wildcat HMA Mk2 first guided firing of the anti-ship Sea Venom missile in Cardigan Bay (Royal Navy / SWNS)

The danger area in the bay was established during the Second World War and covers 6,500 square kilometres of Cardigan Bay from sea level to unlimited height.

Tekever at Parc Aberporth currently employs around 50 people and is set to expand in the coming years.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, Ceredigion Cabinet member for economy and local councillor Clive Davies who said an expansion of defence jobs in the area could create new opportunities for young people and help move away from tourism and the public sector.

"This area has a unique selling point in terms of the bay," he said.

"It's been used for testing this kind of equipment for a long time, drones and other forms of equipment.

"The economy here would benefit greatly, if it comes with hundreds of jobs to provide high level, skilled jobs, in science and mechanical engineering."

One of the Royal Navy’s most advanced warships shot down swarms of drones in a live-fire exercise off the Welsh coast. Taking on the kind of threats currently seen in the Red Sea and other regions, the Type 45 destroyer showcased her cutting-edge weaponry, radars and sensors. Exercise Sharpshooter was HMS Dauntless’ final test before she departs for the UK’s upcoming Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. The destroyer is the first ship of her class to fend off hundreds of Banshee, Hammerhead and virtual drone attacks as part of a scenario customised to mimic real-world threats.
Firing in Cardigan Bay (Royal Navy / SWNS)

Campaigners are set to hold a public meeting in Cardigan Guildhall this Saturday, 27 September from 1pm.

Their last meeting drew around 70 people the group says.

Ian Hicks added: "The meeting will focus on organising and planning upcoming campaigns, activities, and actions aimed at opposing the presence and operations of weapons manufacturers at key local sites, including West Wales Airport (WWA), QinetiQ-run MOD Aberporth, and Parc Aberporth.

"A core aspect of the meeting will be fostering collaboration among participants and encouraging group decision-making to ensure that all voices are heard, and collective action is taken.”