Military Power

Diego Garcia is a living coral atoll, the coral reefs and island are made up of trillions of living organisms. Once an ancient volcano, all that is left is the atoll surrounding a central lagoon. Thanks to its tropical location and heavy rainfall (about 100 inches per year), the island is heavily vegetated with coconut palm and ironwood trees.

Entry into Diego Garcia is restricted, requiring area clearance by CO Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia for all military and civilian personnel. Only active duty, unaccompanied, military personnel are assigned to Diego Garcia. Active duty military couples are not allowed simultaneous assignments to Diego Garcia. The eastern half of the island is off-limits. No personnel are permitted past the British Gate without a pass from the British Representative. This side of the island is a controlled area with no construction sites. It remains much as it was in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The remains of what once was a thriving coconut plantation are located on the east side of Diego Garcia at East Point. The Brit Rep issues a limited number of passes to visit and explore the plantation ruins on weekends.

From the air, Diego Garcia takes on the rough outline of a footprint on the ocean surface -- thus its nickname "Footprint of Freedom". The island stretches 15 miles, north to south, and about 35 miles from tip to tip of its horseshoe shape. The interior lagoon is 13 miles in length and 6.5 miles at its widest point. The island has an area of 6,720 acres (roughly 10.5 square miles) with an average natural elevation of four feet above sea level. Lagoon depths vary from 60 to 100 feet with coral heads in all areas.

In mid-September 2002 it was reported that the US had requested permission to build special shelters for four to six B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia. The portable climate-controlled shelters take about a month to erect. According to American Spaceframe Fabricators, the contractor that designed and constructed the B-2 Shelter System, two shelters had been constructed by late November and two additional structures would not be completed until June 2003 due to lack of existing concrete foundation.