RAF Brawdy

Military Conversion and Defence Cuts. The closure was a result of the UK's post-Cold War defence review, known as 'Options for Change'. The Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU) role was consolidated at other bases, and the station was deemed surplus to the RAF's requirements. It was subsequently transferred to the British Army for use as a barracks, a more cost-effective use of the site within the restructured armed forces.

The site is currently an active British Army base known as **Cawdor Barracks**. It is home to the 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), a specialist unit of the Royal Corps of Signals. The runways, taxiways, and many of the hangars remain intact, but the airfield is not licensed for public use and is not maintained as a fully operational airport. The airfield infrastructure is now used for military training exercises, including limited helicopter and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations. The former ICAO code for the active airfield was EGDA.

RAF Brawdy had a varied and significant military history.

- **World War II (1944-1946):** Opened in February 1944 as a satellite airfield for RAF St Davids. It was used by RAF Coastal Command for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrols over the Western Approaches and the Irish Sea, operating aircraft such as the Vickers Wellington and Handley Page Halifax.

- **Royal Navy (1946-1971):** After the war, the station was transferred to the Fleet Air Arm and commissioned as RNAS Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest). It became a key naval air station, initially for training and later for front-line squadrons. It hosted various carrier-based aircraft, including the Supermarine Scimitar, de Havilland Sea Vixen, and Hawker Sea Hawk. It also served as a shore base for squadrons disembarked from aircraft carriers.

- **Royal Air Force (1974-1992):** The station was handed back to the RAF in 1974. Its primary role became training fast-jet pilots as the home of the Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU), flying the Hawker Hunter and later the BAE Hawk T1. It was also a vital Search and Rescue (SAR) base, with 'B' Flight of No. 22 Squadron (later No. 202 Squadron) operating Westland Sea King helicopters, providing rescue coverage for the Welsh coast and the Irish Sea.

- **US Navy Presence:** During the Cold War, Brawdy also hosted a US Naval Facility (NAVFAC), a highly secretive SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System) station designed to detect and track Soviet submarines in the Atlantic Ocean. This made it a crucial intelligence-gathering site for NATO.

There are no known plans or serious prospects for reopening the site as a civilian or military airport. In November 2021, the UK Ministry of Defence reversed a previous decision to close the army base, confirming that Cawdor Barracks will be retained. This secures its long-term future as a strategic army installation, making any conversion back to a full-time airport highly unlikely.