Large area off Welsh coast to be closed off for major military exercise with live weapons

A large area off the Welsh coast is restricted to sea traffic next week due to military tests with live weapons. The tests will be carried out from the Ministry of Defence's Aberporth Range which is situated in Cardigan Bay north of the Milford Haven waterway beyond Strumble Head. The range covers about 550 acres and is the base for the testing of air launched weapons and unmanned aerial systems .

The range has a "sea danger area" which covers 6,500 square kilometres of Cardigan Bay from sea level to unlimited height. The extent of the sea danger area is shown on the map below.

The full sea danger area off the Welsh coast (MOD)

A military testing range was first established in Cardigan Bay during the Second World War. The range is controlled from a site near Aberporth and is known as MOD Aberporth. Over the years the range has played a significant part in the development and testing of a variety of military weapons.

Next week several areas of the ocean off the cost will be used for testing. On Monday it will be just a small area off the coast of Cardigan. However from Tuesday through to Thursday an additional large area will be used further out to sea. The range will be closed on Friday.

The first map shows where the testing will be carried out on Monday. The second shows the larger area which will be included on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (MOD)

The Cardigan Bay Danger Area is a military testing and training area covering a large part of Cardigan Bay. Activities occur daily including low-flying aircraft, missile evaluation, laser firing, and bombing. For safety, parts of the danger area are temporarily cleared of shipping during firings. Announcements are made over VHF radio at the start and end of activity and vessels may also be approached by one of MOD's safety vessels.

The rest of the area (not covered by the red dots) is available for general use and most weekends there is no activity. You can check the weekly schedule here.

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