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Description

Defining Diego Garcia

Since the Pentagon does not disclose information about every US military installation, it is difficult to quantify exactly how many bases the United States has abroad. Among the currently estimated 750 “base sites” in over 80 countries, the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia occupies a strategic location. This installation stands on the largest island of the Chagos archipelago, after which it is named. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia is not just the only US base in the region but is positioned to support US operations in the Indo-Pacific theater, the Middle East, and Africa.2 Thanks to its extensive deep-water docking infrastructure, the military installation is first and foremost a US Navy base capable of providing maintenance and resupply to large vessels, including aircraft carriers. The facility is also crucial for US Air Force operations due to its long runways capable of hosting large military aircraft, like B-52 strategic bombers and KC-135 tankers. For these reasons, Diego Garcia held a central role in the American operations during the first Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and, most recently, the air strikes in Iran (Operation Epic Fury).3 Additionally, since the base’s construction in 1961, what has made Diego Garcia perfect for the United States is the almost fully guaranteed access granted to it by the United Kingdom, possibly the closest US ally that retains possession of the archipelago. However, that status may soon change.

Publication Date

6-9-2026

Keywords

seabed mining, critical minerals, cobalt, oceanography, national security, international seabed authority, polymetallic nodules, supply chain, glomar explorer, Deep Seabed Hard Minerals Resources Act

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/IMEQ7030

GNSI Decision Brief: Ours to Keep? Diego Garcia, Mauritius, the UK, the US and Security in the Indian Ocean

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