Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia
IATA: NKW ICAO: FJDG
Summary
Airport type	Naval air facility
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	United States Navy
Location	Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory
Built	1971–1976; Major extensions 1982–1986
In use	1971–present
Elevation AMSL	9 ft / 3 m
Coordinates	7°18′48″S 72°24′40″E / 7.31333°S 72.41111°E / -7.31333; 72.41111
Map
Diego Garcia Location of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 13/31 12,003 3,659 Concrete

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia is a facility of the United States Navy located on Diego Garcia.

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia provides Base Operating Services to tenant commands located on the island. The command's mission is "To provide logistic support to operational forces forward deployed to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf AORs in support of national policy objectives."

As of January 2012, the facility supported the following tenant commands:

On 1 October 1977, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, was established as the senior United States Navy command on the island. At the time the NAVCOMMSTA was the primary tenant, but as new major facilities were completed, most notably the expanded anchorage and mooring area and the extended airfield, other tenants were commissioned.

In 1980, the United States Navy established the Near-Term Prepositioned Force of 16 ships. Then NTPF became the Afloat Prepositioning Force (AFP) and eventually Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two (MPSRON 2) consisting of 20 deep-water pre-positioned logistics ships anchored in the lagoon.

In 1981, the naval air facility was commissioned. It was decommissioned in 1987 and its responsibilities returned to the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia.

In 1982, construction activities were transferred from the Seabees to a consortium of civilian contractors, Raymond International, and Brown and Root and Molem, a joint venture. Raymond had deep-draft wharf and waterfront skills, Brown and Root had concrete and infrastructure skills, and Molem was an English firm known for taking on challenging projects. The majority of the projects were completed by 1988.

On 26 March 1982, Barbara Shuping and five other women were assigned to the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia. Prior to this assignment, no women had lived on the island since those on the plantation in 1971.

In 1985; the new port facilities were completed and the USS Saratoga (CV-60) was the first aircraft carrier to tie up.

The Strategic Air Command began deploying Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers and aerial refueling aircraft to the newly completed airfield facilities in 1987.

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