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[citation needed] In October 2007, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the British Parliament announced that it would launch an investigation of continued allegations of a prison camp on Diego Garcia, which it claimed were twice confirmed by comments made by retired U.S. Army general Barry McCaffrey. During April and May, winds are light and variable, ultimately backing to an east-southeasterly direction. [54], Between 1971 and 2001, the only residents on Diego Garcia were UK and US military personnel and civilian employees of those countries. [1], While officially the drones were supposed to be unarmed, there were secret discussions with the Seychelles to arm them, revealed by the United States diplomatic cables leak (of WikiLeaks) in 2011. Annual rainfall averages 2,603.5mm (102.50in), with the heaviest precipitation from September to April. Adult hawksbills and greens are common in the surrounding seas and nest regularly on the ocean-side beaches of the atoll. MacDill Air Force Base. These small lagoons off of the main lagoon are filled with seawater at high tide and dry at low tide. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [98], Also, several man-made freshwater ponds resulted from excavations made during construction of the airfield and road on the western half of the atoll rim. Juvenile hawksbills are quite common in the lagoon and at Barachois Sylvane (also known as Turtle Cove) in the southern part of the lagoon. Newsmatics Inc., 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1000, . The surrounding sea surface temperature is the primary climatic control, and temperatures are generally uniform throughout the year, with an average maximum of 30C (86F) by day during March and April, and 29C (84F) from July to September. [129], Four reptiles and six cetaceans are endangered and may or may not be found on or around Diego Garcia:[130] Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two, Diego Garcia (Official Site), Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia (Official Site), "A Return from Exile in Sight? [34] Those who still remained on the island of Diego Garcia between 1971 and 1973 were forced onto cargo ships that were heading to Mauritius and the Seychelles. Speculations include visits during the Austronesian diaspora around 700 AD, as some say the old Maldivian name for the islands originated from Malagasy. [52][53] Today, Chagossians remain highly impoverished and are living as "marginalised" outsiders on the island of Mauritius and the Seychelles. Retrieved 2016-04-11. Diego Garcia and the rest of the Chagos islands were uninhabited until the late 18th century. United States drone base in Seychelles - Wikipedia D. R. Stoddart (1971): "Settlement and development of Diego Garcia". [113] No terrestrial plant species are of any conservation-related concern at present. [citation needed] In July 2023, Reuters confirmed an underwater fiber-optic cable was constructed to Diego Garcia, finished in 2022. "[57] The inhabitants today do not rely on the island and the surrounding waters for sustenance. Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. This fringing seaward reef shelf comprises an area around 35.2km2 (14sqmi). Seychelles A fast patrol vessel, PS Zoroaster, funded by the Government of India (GoI) was handed over to Seychelles in an official virtual inaugural ceremony held on 8 April 2021. The commissioner is based in London, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and is assisted by an administrator and small staff. [51], Fifteen years after the last expulsion, the Chagossians received compensation from the British, totalling $6,000 per person; some Chagossians received nothing. The total bird list for the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, consists of 91 species, with large breeding populations of 16 species. [122] Other than rats (Rattus rattus), all "wild" mammal species are feral descendants of domesticated species. [citation needed] According to David Vine, "Today, at any given time, 3,000 to 5,000 US troops and civilian support staff live on the island. The workers lived at each and at villages scattered around the atoll. [55][bettersourceneeded] During combat operations from the atoll against Afghanistan (20012006) and Iraq (20032006), a number of allied militaries were based on the island including Australian,[56] Japanese, and the Republic of Korea. (February 2021) The Seychelles People's Defence Force is the national military of Seychelles. [3], In April 2011, the operations were paused, but they were resumed in September 2011. [123] Donkeys, which numbered over 400 in 1972, were down to just 20 individuals in 2005. Naval base, these islanders are still fighting to return", "Chirayu Thakkar (12 Jul 2021) OVERCOMING THE DIEGO GARCIA STALEMATE", "Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests", "History of Diego Garcia Atoll, Indian Ocean", Report: The use of Diego Garcia by the United States, "Pilger reveals: British-US conspiracy to steal a nation", "Personal Accounts of Landing on Diego Garcia, 1971", "Diego Garcia's master budget analyst, resource advisor recognized", "U.N. Asks International Court to Weigh in on Britain-Mauritius Dispute", "Chagos legal status sent to international court by UN", "Chagos Islands dispute: UK obliged to end control UN", "UK suffers crushing defeat in UN vote on Chagos Islands", "Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 May 2019", "UN ruling raises questions about future of US mission in Diego Garcia", "Navy Base in Diego Garcia Welcome to Stay After Transfer of Sovereignty, Official Says", "UN ruling raises hope of return for exiled Chagos islanders", "Chagos Marine Protected Area Arbitration (Mauritius v. United Kingdom) (Press Release and Summary of Award)", "England and Wales High Court of Justice, Queens Bench Division Appendix, Paragraph 396", "England and Wales High Court of Justice, Queens Bench Division Appendix, Paragraph 417", "European Union EEAS (European External Action Service)", "Chagos Islands exiles amazed by speed of Foreign Office's opposition to seabed claim by Maldives", "Chagossians-the original inhabitants of Diego Garcia face U.S. government in the court", "ADF in Afghanistan - history Global Collaborative", "The Treaty of Pelindaba: towards the full implementation of the African NWFZ Treaty", "Denied Entry: Israel Blocks Noam Chomsky from Entering West Bank to Deliver Speech", "African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Force: What Next for Diego Garcia? Advertisement. The United States and Seychelles enjoy a history of partnership and cooperation based on shared priorities. January is the wettest month with 353mm (13.9in) of mean monthly precipitation, and August the driest month, averaging 106.5mm (4.19in) of mean monthly precipitation. Although the Cantino planisphere (1504) and the Ruysch map (1507) clearly delineate the Maldive Islands, giving them the same names, they do not show any islands to the south which can be identified as the Chagos archipelago. The 1967 survey, published by the Smithsonian[108] is used as the most authoritative baseline for more recent research. Seychelles welcomes local U.S.-led education and training opportunities for all its people and benefits from U.S. public diplomacy programs. U.S. building secret drone bases in Africa, Arabian Peninsula Also, 134 species of plants are classified as "weedy" or "naturalised alien species", being those unintentionally introduced by man, or intentionally introduced as ornamentals or crop plants which have now "gone native", including 32 new species recorded since 1995, indicating a very rapid rate of introduction. Prior to setting up a military base, the United States government was informed by the British governmentwhich owned the islandthat Diego Garcia had a population of hundreds. A local government as normally envisioned does not exist. The United States saw the atoll as the "Malta of the Indian Ocean" equidistant from all points. A pro-base constituency will emerge to protect the Chinese interests when the inevitable drunken fights, rape, and murder occur, just like in Okinawa. The United States also provides exchange programs for promising leaders and professionals. Diego Garcia was the site of several naval exercises between the United States and Indian navies held between 2001 and 2004. Pensacola Florida Military Bases. Both Catalina and Sunderland aircraft were flown during the course of World WarII in search of Japanese and German submarines and surface raiders. Officers and Directors are recognized industry leaders . [9], According to Southern Maldivian oral tradition, traders and fishermen were occasionally lost at sea and got stranded on one of the islands of the Chagos. Because of the protections provided the species on this atoll, and the isolation of the east rim of the atoll, the species is recorded in greater densities there than anywhere else in its range (339 crabs/ha). [89][bettersourceneeded], The island was somewhat affected by the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. [142], United States military activities in Diego Garcia have caused friction between India and the United States in the past. In addition, near-shore coral reefs and an algal platform may have dissipated much of the waves' impact. Your one-stop resource for U.S. Military bases information. American Forces Travel: Military Travel Discounts - Military OneSource [118], In 2004, 10 plant communities were recognised on the atoll rim:[87], All the terrestrial and aquatic fauna of Diego Garcia are protected, with the exception of certain game fish, rats, and cats; hefty fines are levied against violators. In addition, the CIA is. Low-intensity storms have hit the island, including one in 1901, which blew over 1,500 coconut trees;[101] one on 16 September 1944,[102][bettersourceneeded] which caused the wreck of a Royal Air Force PBY Catalina; one in September 1990 which demolished the tent city then being constructed for United States Air Force bomber crews during Operation Desert Storm;[89][bettersourceneeded] and one on 22 July 2007, when winds exceeded 60kn (110km/h) and over 250mm (9.8in) of rain fell in 24 hours. [47] The Ilois also evolved a French-based Creole dialect now called Chagossian Creole. From June through September, the influence of the Southeast trades is felt, with speeds of 1015 knots. List of United States drone bases - Wikipedia According to Stuart Barbera civilian working for the US Navy at the PentagonDiego Garcia was located far away from any potential threats, it was low in a native population and it was an island that was not sought after by other countries as it lacked economic interest. He said that he had heard from three US intelligence sources that Diego Garcia was used as "a transit site where people were temporarily housed, let us say, and interrogated from time to time" and, "What I heard was more along the lines of using it as a transit location when perhaps other places were full or other places were deemed too dangerous or insecure, or unavailable at the moment". [1] The drones have been hosted in Seychelles since 2009 and they are located in a hangar about a quarter of a mile from the main terminal of the airport. [2] Another stated goal was to have surveillance missions over Somalia. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands of the Chagos Archipelago. The British expulsion action remains in litigation as of 2016[update]. However, Seychelless tourism- and fishing-based economy is vulnerable to piracy and illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. In 1971, the BIOT Commissioner ordered the extermination of feral dogs following the departure of the last plantation workers, and the program continued through 1975, when the last feral dog was observed and shot. An annual meeting called "The Pol-Mil Talks" (for "political-military") of all concerned is held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to resolve pertinent issues. Archived from the original on 2016-05-31. Seychelles U.S. Military Bases News Topics; Specialized News Sections on Seychelles U.S. Military Bases. Diego Garcia is of sufficient width to minimise tidal fluctuations in the aquifer, and the rainfall (in excess of 102.5inches/260cm per year on average)[92] is sufficient in amount and periodicity for the fresh water to form a series of convex, freshwater, Ghyben-Herzberg lenses floating on the heavier salt water in the saturated sediments.[93][94]. Greens have been observed nesting in every month; the average female lays three clutches per season, each having an average clutch size of 113 eggs. This detachment provides base telephone communications, base network services (Local Network Services Center), pier connectivity services, and an AN/GSC-39C SHF satellite terminal, operates the Hydroacoustic Data Acquisition System, and performs on-site maintenance for the remotely operated Air Force HF-GCS terminal. About . Agalega: A glimpse of India's remote island military base [36], Following the fall of the Shah of Iran and the Iran Hostage Crisis in 19791980, the West became concerned with ensuring the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States received permission for a $400-million expansion of the military facilities on Diego Garcia consisting of two parallel 12,000-foot-long (3,700m) runways, expansive parking aprons for heavy bombers, 20 new anchorages in the lagoon, a deep-water pier, port facilities for the largest naval vessels in the U.S. and British fleets, aircraft hangars, maintenance buildings and an air terminal, a 1,340,000 barrels (213,000m3) fuel storage area, and billeting and messing facilities for thousands of sailors and support personnel. All consumable food and equipment are brought to Diego Garcia by sea or air, and all non-biodegradable waste is shipped off the island as well. Scientific expeditions in 1996 and 2006 described the lagoon and surrounding waters of Diego Garcia, along with the rest of the Chagos Archipelago, as "exceptionally unpolluted" and "pristine". The United States drone base in Seychelles is a military base operated by the United States and located at the Seychelles International Airport in Mah island, Seychelles. Virtual Presence Post USAID Africa Page According to Barber, this was the only way to ensure security for a foreign base. United States Southern Command. A subsidiary issue is the Mauritian opposition to the UK Government's declaration of 1 April 2010 that the BIOT is a marine protected area with fishing and. [60] The BIOT administration was moved to Seychelles following the independence of Mauritius in 1968 until the independence of Seychelles in 1976,[18] and to a desk in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London since.[61]. The Indian government's plan to set up and develop its first overseas military base at Assumption Island in the Seychelles was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's . [107] Thus, very little of the nature of the precontact vegetation is known. Home - Military Bases The statement said in a footnote: "In 2016, there were discussions between the United Kingdom and the United States concerning the continuing importance of the joint base. In 1968, the first tactics were implemented to decrease the population of Diego Garcia. [158], Naval Security Group detachment Diego Garcia was disestablished on 30 September 2005. Hawksbills have been observed nesting during June and July, and from November to March. More information about Seychelles is available on theSeychelles Pageand from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. Diego Garcia has an equatorial tropical rainforest climate (Kppen Af). [160] On the return trip to Singapore, it carried recyclable metals.[161]. [87], The total area of the atoll is about 170km2 (66sqmi). Seychelles has no embassy in Washington, DC; its permanent representative to the United Nations in New York is also accredited as Ambassador to the United States. [143] Political party CPI(m) in India has[144] repeatedly called for the military base to be dismantled, as they saw the United States naval presence in Diego Garcia as a hindrance to peace in the Indian Ocean. Despite the withdrawal of US military bases and troops from Afghanistan, the US continues to maintain about 750 military bases abroad. According to the Al Jazeera, India has been constructing a massive airstrip and two jetties on the 12Km long island. No species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, molluscs, crustaceans, or mammals is endemic on Diego Garcia or in the surrounding waters. [24] However, the plantations, both under their previous private ownership and under government administration, proved consistently unprofitable due to the introduction of new oils and lubricants in the international marketplace, and the establishment of vast coconut plantations in the East Indies and the Philippines and the company terminated the lease at the end of 1967. For example, in 1980 the US entered into an agreement with Kenya for the use of its air-force and naval. [110], In 1967, Stoddart described the land area of Diego Garcia as having a littoral hedge of Scaevola taccada, while inland, Cocos nucifera (coconut) was the most dominant tree, covering most of the island. [156][157], Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Far East Detachment Diego Garcia operates a detachment in Diego Garcia. From 1971 to 1973, United States Navy LSTs provided this service. [25], In April 1966, the British government bought the entire assets of the Chagos Agalega Company in the BIOT for 600,000 and administered them as a government enterprise and immediately leased the plantations back to Chagos Agalega while awaiting United States funding of the proposed facilities, with an interim objective of paying for the administrative expenses of the new territory. [71][72], In 2015, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's former chief of staff, Lawrence Wilkerson, said Diego Garcia was used by the CIA for "nefarious activities". It is assumed[by whom?] The key component in obtaining Diego Garcia was the perceived lack of a native population on the island. to conduct expeditionary warfare, and thereby influence events abroad. [162] TransAtlantic Lines reportedly won the contract by approximately 10 percent, representing a price difference of about US$2.7 million. Diego Garcia is often referred to as "Fantasy Island" for its seclusion. [6] In 2019, this action and continued British administration of the archipelago were deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a ruling the United Nations General Assembly supported. [77], Manfred Nowak, one of five United Nations special rapporteurs on torture, said that credible evidence exists supporting allegations that ships serving as black sites have used Diego Garcia as a base. [41][42] In a written statement, the U.S. government said that neither the Americans nor the British have any plans to discontinue use of the military base on Diego Garcia. Rather, the United Kingdom received a US$14-million discount from the United States on the acquisition of submarine-launched Polaris missiles per a now-declassified addendum to the 1966 agreement.[28]. India's approach towards Seychelles in the Indian Ocean Region [80] On 21 February 2008, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband admitted that two United States extraordinary rendition flights refuelled on Diego Garcia in 2002, and was "very sorry" that earlier denials were having to be corrected. Additional information about Seychelles is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here: CIA World Factbook Seychelles Page The ship composition of MPSRON TWO is dynamic. Corruption of a lens can take years to "flush out" and reform, depending on the ratio of recharge to losses. The list of United States military bases by states as of 2023: 1. List of United States military bases - Wikipedia [128] A viable population of a type of blind snake from the family Typhlopidae may be present, probably the brahminy blind snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus). [97] Two are of significance to island wildlife and to recharge their respective freshwater lenses. [121], No mammal species are native on Diego Garcia, with no record of bats. [145][146], Recent construction in support of US military activities on Diego Garcia has included Black Construction/Mace International JV building a 34-metre antenna facility (expected completed by April 2021) and two new 13-metre radomes (expected completed by February 2021);[147] and SJC-BVIL moving underground the overhead power and telephone lines that run from the Navy ammunition area to the Air Force ammunition area along DG1 (expected completed by September 2022). To Barber, Diego Garcia and other acquired islands would play a key role in maintaining US dominance. The negotiations that preceded the establishment of the base in the Republic of Seychelles illustrate the efforts the United States is making to broaden the range of its drone weapons. Other nesting native birds include red-tailed tropicbirds, wedge-tailed shearwaters, Audubon's shearwater, black-naped terns, white terns, striated herons, and white-breasted waterhens. In the plantation period, shallow wells, supplemented by rainwater collected in cisterns, provided sufficient water for the pastoral lifestyle of the small population. U.S. military drone crashes in Seychelles - The Washington Post The Sebastian Cabot map (Antwerp 1544) shows a number of islands to the south which may be the Mascarene Islands. [162] The route had previously been serviced by Sealift Inc.'s MV Sagamore, crewed by members of American Maritime Officers and Seafarers' International Union. Ambassador to Seychelles is resident in Mauritius; principal embassy officials are listed in the Departments Key Officers List under Mauritius. Cruise packages with up to 80% savings. Delhi's $100M Gift a Bribe for Indian Military Base in Seychelles? [4] The Crown immediately leased back the properties to Chagos-Agalega but the company terminated the lease at the end of 1967. [73][74], In June 2004, the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw stated that United States authorities had repeatedly assured him that no detainees had passed in transit through Diego Garcia or were disembarked there. The U.S. does not have a full-time diplomatic presence in Seychelles. Seychelles is a full-fledged member of the World Trade Organization. [15] The supplies of the 275 settlers were overwhelmed by 250 survivors of the wreck of the British East Indian Ship Atlas in May, and the colony failed in October. Expands Drone Flights to Take Aim at East Africa", "U.S. building secret drone bases in Africa, Arabian Peninsula, officials say", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_drone_base_in_Seychelles&oldid=937599828, Military installations of the United States by country, SeychellesUnited States military relations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 26 January 2020, at 01:29. U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics [43][7], In June 2020, a Mauritian official offered to allow the United States to retain its military base on the island if Mauritius succeeded in regaining sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago. The large AN/AX-16 High Frequency Radio direction finding Circularly Disposed Antenna Array has been demolished, but the four satellite antenna radomes around the site remain as of 2010[update]. In the Indian Ocean region, the two countries work together to promote maritime security, combat drug and other forms of trafficking, and protect the environment. The Agalga Island, which is on the [] From December through March, winds are generally westerly around 6 knots (11km/h). On Diego Garcia today, the military base uses over 100 shallow "horizontal" wells to produce over 560,000 L per day from the "Cantonment" lens on the northwest arm of the islandsufficient water for western-style usage for a population of 3,500. F. R. Fosberg & A. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands of the Chagos Archipelago. [citation needed]. There are approximately 4050 British military personnel posted on Diego Garcia, most of them from Naval Party 1002 (NP1002). COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Since September, 2021 the United States has donated 114,660 safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of Seychelles. Seychelles facility not exactly a military base: analysts. On 3rd August 2021, the Aljazeera published a startling report on the construction of a military base on the Agalga Island in Mauritius. As China concerns grow, India looks to build military presence in - CNN that the island was named after one of its first two discoverersthe one by the name of Garcia, the other with name Diego. HMG would like to establish a "marine park" or "reserve" providing comprehensive environmental protection to the reefs and waters of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official informed Polcouns on 12 May. [81], According to Wikileaks CableGate documents,[82] in a calculated move planned in 2009, the UK proposed that the BIOT become a "marine reserve" with the aim of preventing the former inhabitants from returning to the islands. [citation needed] None of these facilities were ever used throughout the life of the shuttle program. There are two transnational political issues which affect Diego Garcia and the BIOT, through the British government. It is a single coral island 11.6 km 2 (4.5 sq mi) in area. [162] The Baffin Straits charter ran from 10 January 2005, to 30 September 2008, at a daily rate of US$12,550. [1], The United States Air Force has a team on the ground in Seychelles (around 100 military personnel) who launch and land the drones, which are operated from the Creech Air Force Base in Nevada and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. [86] The continuous portion of the atoll rim stretches 64km (40mi) from one end to the other, enclosing a lagoon 21km (13mi) long and up to 11km (7mi) wide, with a 6km (4mi) pass opening at the north.