It would be nice to live in a world of peace and harmony. Sadly we don’t. And likely never will.

So when a group of campaigners in west Wales lays out their stall “demanding the demilitarisation' of west Wales”, we regrettably wonder what world are they living in. Our world is a dangerous place, and the vital work being carried on from Aberporth is, regrettably, a necessity of this fractured reality.

We all want peace. And as distasteful as it is that some of the equipment being tested over Cardigan Bay ends up invariably in armaments used by the Israeli Defence Forces on the starving people of Gaza, banging a drum and demanding the closure of facilities along Cardigan Bay and elsewhere in this region, is simply naive.

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 area, 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'.

But let’s put this in perspective.

The rockets and technology developed at these sites played a key role in keeping the peace of the Cold War. They are essential weaponry for our military and its allies in being in a full state of preparedness against our adversaries. WWA need only look at developments in Eastern Europe and over the Baltic, where Russian fighter jets are probing at Nato’s borders.

Can we really afford not to have the latest technology, the latest drones, the most secure anti-drone defences? And yes, all of that work goes on in between Pembrokeshire and Gwynedd.

The Qinetiq site in Parcllyn, formerly the RAE, employs around 200 people. Tekever employs 50 people and is expanding.

While the sentiment of WWA is to be admired, the reality too is that families across this region depend on the paycheques those military-related jobs provide. They are skilled, well-paying jobs, paying mortgages that keep families living in our communities - not forced out of the housing market with houses that become holiday homes.