It was commissioned as HMS Goldcrest on 4 September 1952 and in March 1953 the first Hawker Sea Hawk entered service with 806 Naval Air Squadron.

From 1963 till 1971 Brawdy was home to Fairey Gannets and Hawker Hunters in the Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and advanced flying training roles respectively.

[7] Cawdor Barracks is currently home to the 14 Signal Regiment ("14 Sigs"), the British Army's electronic warfare unit.

[8] Units based include:[8] In November 2016, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that Cawdor Barracks would close in 2024.

[10] In December 2023, the Ministry of Defence announced plans for Cawdor to host one of three Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability sites, a program between the UK, US and Australia.