Diego Garcia: The Strategic U.S Military Base in Indian Ocean
Diego Garica was discovered by Portuguese explorers in the early sixteenth century and its name is believed to have come from either an early explorer's ship captain or its navigator. Under the Treaty of Paris of 1814, many of the islands in the Indian Ocean under the control of the French were ceded to Britain, including the Mauritius and the Chagos Islands. In 1965, these islands became the British Indian Ocean Territory. During the 19th Century, the islands were used as plantations, producing copra and coconut oils. Plantations on Diego Garcia were closed in 1971, following a decision to establish the U.S. Navy Support Facility based on the 1966 Exchange of Notes between Great Britain and the United States. In January 1971, U.S. Navy Seabees were transported to the island by landing ship to begin building the U.S. military presence on Diego Garcia. Today Diego Garcia is home to 15 separate commands, including the U.S. Navy Support Facility, which functions as the host command.
Its position is strategically vital for the US, allowing it to project its military strength northwest into the Middle East and South Asia, east into Asia, or west into Africa. It's the most important US base in the Indian Ocean region. Diego Garcia is surrounded by about 60 other atolls. Its coast forms a deep natural harbor, making it the perfect site for a naval base. Diego Garcia has been the site of important military action by the US. On the remote tropical island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean lies a secretive, strategically vital US military base. Before that, the site had proved its strategic importance for US military operations in the Middle East as a base for Air Force attacks in 1991 during the first Gulf War. From the base, long-range B52 bombers embarked on missions to Afghanistan in 2001, targeting Taliban and Qaeda positions in the country's mountains. The base is also vital as a refueling point for the US Navy and Air Force. Its deep port is able to accommodate aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and other ships. With Diego Garcia accessible only to restricted US military personnel, its secrecy has attracted speculation. Unlike the US military base in Guam, the spouses of personnel are not allowed on Diego Garcia. No journalist has visited. The UN court ruled that it was illegal for the British to demand possession of the islands as a condition of independence. Shortly afterward, the British leased Diego Garcia to the US. The UN has now served an eviction notice to the British. Though the ruling is not enforceable, it exerts moral pressure and has placed the future of the base in doubt. The base has served as a launchpad for US military operations in the Middle East and as a refueling point for Air Force patrols headed to the South China Sea, and it was even designated an emergency landing spot for space missions by NASA.
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