Russian-style 'missile launcher' at airfield sparks local concern

INFLATABLE SEEN AT SITE AIMED AT NON-MILITARY PURPOSES

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

A MYSTERIOUS inflatable resembling a Russian missile launcher has heightened fears among people living near the airfield where it was spotted.

A photo of the “antiaircraft battery” was snatched at a drone and space-testing base on the Gwynedd coast.

Nearby residents were disturbed to see the installation at Llanbedr Airfield, a former RAF base near Harlech. They have previously raised complaints about drones buzzing above homes and causing a noise nuisance.

Site operator Snowdonia Aerospace develops next-generation aircraft such as drones, electric aircraft, balloons, airships and near-space equipment.

The company says it tests equipment for nonmilitary purposes in “Permanent Danger Area” airspace that extends out into Cardigan Bay.

The company said it was “not at liberty” to discuss activities carried out by third parties at Llanbedr - but it confirmed there was “no direct military involvement” in connection with the mystery inflatable.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said he would be writing to Welsh ministers seeking “urgent clarification” on the aerodrome’s activities and whether they were linked to military purposes.

It follows similar concerns expressed by Gwynedd councillor Beca Brown in October.

The Llanbedr installation resembled a Russian-made SA-8 Gecko, a short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system that entered service in the Soviet army in 1972. It was intended to defend troops on the march as well as ground assets against air strikes delivered by manned or unmanned aircraft.

Among those to question the airfield’s activities was Karl Ciz, leader of Llanbedr’s safety campaign for a bypass which the Welsh Government cancelled in 2021.

He said: “Locals were shocked to see the launcher, nobody knew if it was real or not.

“The community was told it was postal drones, we never expected to see antiaircraft launchers, real or not.