Auxiliary Territorial Service workers operating a kinetheodolite (used to record on film the accuracy of anti-aircraft shells) at the Royal Artillery anti-aircraft training school at Manorbier
The site, consisting of a grass runway and canvas tents, was then used as an anti-aircraft training school from the spring of 1937 with No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF 'Y' Flight being based at the airfield. The unit operated the de Havilland Queen Bees, a pilot-less radio-controlled version of the de Havilland Tiger Moth trainer, which was used for anti-aircraft gunnery practice. The runway was enlarged in 1940 and the airfield acquired catapults to launch Queen Bees from clifftops so gunnery practice could be continued when the grass runways were flooded. Defences were also fitted to the airfield, including the Pickett-Hamilton retractable pillbox, which can be fitted with different calibre guns and can be raised or lowered hydraulically.[4]
The Pilotless Aircraft Unit (PAU) was based permanently at Manorbier, using a tender to retrieve drones from the sea and return them back to the base. The unit continued to use the airfield even after the war.[4]
‘Y' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1 AACU) was equipped with the de Havilland DH.82 Queen Bee a pilotless radio-controlled target drone variant of the Tiger Moth aircraft, used from RAF Manorbier for training artillery gunners, at the nearby Royal Artillery Camp, with their Anti-aircraft target practice.[6] The unit initially operated at RAF Manorbier between the 29 June and the 4 October 1938, before arriving for a second time, on the 15 May 1939.[7] 'Y' Flight of 1 AACU disbanded on the 16 August 1942 at RAF Manorbier.[6] ( see Pilotless Aircraft Unit below )
No. 595 Squadron RAF operated a detachment at RAF Manorbier from December 1943.[8] It provided anti-aircraft co-operation for the School of Artillery, helping to calibrate their equipment by flying at a fixed course and speed and target tugs.[9] The detachment left RAF Manorbier, when the parent squadron moved from RAF Aberpoth to RAF Fairwood Common.[8]
Pilotless Aircraft Unit
Preparations being made for the launch of a de Havilland Queen Bee from its ramp, at an unspecified UK location, albeit an example of the operation at Manorbier. The then Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, with Captain The Right Honourable David Margesson, the then Secretary of State for War, watching on.
The Pilotless Aircraft Unit arrived at RAF Manorbier in May 1942, relocating from RAF St Athan.[1] It was originally known as Pilotless Aircraft Section, redesignating from Section to Unit around December 1940. Although it mainly used the de Havilland Queen Bee, the unit operated a number of pilotless aircraft, and also used various support aircraft alongside:[10]
'Y' Flight, No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1 AACU), which was operating de Havilland Queen Bee at RAF Manorbier, was absorbed by the Pilotless Aircraft Unit on the 16 August 1942.[6]
The Pilotless Aircraft Unit disbanded at RAF Manorbier on the 15 March 1946.[10]
The site is currently used as training and testing range for the British Army known as Air Defence Range (ADR) Manorbier, the testing range fires a maximum of 750 surface-to-air missile each year on 100 designated testing days.[11] Established in 1972, it is the British Army’s main UK Close Air Defence (CAD) range and is used to fire a variety of CAD missiles and machine guns. Both Army and Commando CAD units utilise the training facilities, along with the Defence Air Warfare Centre.[3]
The principle weapon system fired at ADR Manorbier was fitted for night operation in 2005, the only suitable site for testing new night vision technology at the time. The Ministry of Defence also proposed a plan to launch a maximum of 100 missiles for 20 nights a year. This was met with opposition from the locals who claimed that should the plan be approved, tourism will suffer and air pollution in the area will increase.[13]
Geography
The range is part of Defence Training Estate Pembrokeshire. The installation covers 102 acres (41 hectares), however, the danger area is around 220 sq mi (570 km2), extending up to 13 mi (21 km) out to sea and 50,000 ft (15,000 m) upwards.[3]
The Royal Marines Air Defence Troop, from 30 Commando (IX) Group, specialise in using the High Velocity Missile (HVM), known as Starstreak. Within one second of launching, the HVM reaches Mach 3. Missile firing camps at ADR Manorbier are highly technical and require months of planning. In order to live fire a HVM, an operator must do hundreds of simulator shots and target drone tracking with a laser. Banshee drones are used and are operated by technicians from QinetiQ. Designed to survive the missile engagement, the drones have a radar which enables estimation if the HVM would have successfully hit an aircraft. A specialist team at the range, from the Royal ArtilleryGunnery Training Team (GTT) based at Larkhill in Wiltshire, co-ordinate safety. The missiles are fired from land out to sea and range staff ensure all air and sea traffic is monitored.[15]
Lightweight Multirole Missile
In 2019 the Royal Marines tested the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) system, known as Martlet, to take out airborne targets at Air Defence Range Manorbier. Air Defence Troop of Plymouth-based30 Commando (IX) Group were the first sub unit to use the system. Drones were launched and the commandos used the laser-guidedmissiles to fire at their targets. The Martlet, which has a range of more than 6km, is intended to complement the High Velocity Missile (HVM). Banshee target drones were used in the exercise, with Royal Artillery instructors and Thales Air Defence technicians to gauge the success of the engagement.[16]
During March 2019, Thales Air Defence undertook ground firing trials of 6 x Lightweight Multirole Missiles fired from the Thales designed launcher system, at a small boat target at sea a distance of 4.5 km (2.8 mi) away, at Air Defence Range Manorbier. This formed part of the Integration testing phase of the Future Anti Surface Guided Weapon (Light), FASGW(L) programme. The programme included testing of all parts of the weapon system including the missile itself, the launcher system to be fitted to the AW159 Wildcat military helicopter and relative equipment. The missiles used were fitted with telemetry software and had no warhead. The data gathered enabled analysis of the launcher, the guidance system and missile performance.[17]
Jefford, C G (2001). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 - 2nd Edition. Shrewsbury UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN1-84037-141-2.
