404
edits
Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Added history, external links, pic, website, devel status, details
(Added content, pics, details.) |
(Added history, external links, pic, website, devel status, details) |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
| name = Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia | | name = Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia | ||
| image = FJDG 01.JPG | | image = FJDG 01.JPG | ||
|alt = Overview of Diego Garcia NSF in the current version with custom buildings. | |alt = Overview of Diego Garcia NSF in the current version with some custom buildings. | ||
| iata = NKW | | iata = NKW | ||
| icao = FJDG | | icao = FJDG | ||
| type = Military (Naval Air Facility) | | type = Military (Naval Air Facility) | ||
| owner = Ministry of Defence | | owner = UK Ministry of Defence; US Navy, Air Mobility Command (users) | ||
| city = Diego Garcia Island, Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory | | city = Diego Garcia Island, Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory | ||
| website = | | website = https://www.cnic.navy.mil/DiegoGarcia/index.htm | ||
| runway = 13/31 | | runway = 13/31 | ||
| length = 12,003 ft | | length = 12,003 ft (3,659 m) | ||
| material = Concrete | | material = Concrete | ||
| scenerytile = | | scenerytile = | ||
| terrasync = No | | terrasync = No | ||
}} | }} | ||
Diego Garcia is an island atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean | Diego Garcia is an island atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean and part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, among thousands of other small islands located within British Indian Ocean Territory. | ||
The United States Navy operates Naval Support Facility (NSF) Diego Garcia, a large naval ship and submarine support base, military air base, communications and space-tracking facility, and an anchorage for pre-positioned military supplies for regional operations aboard Military Sealift Command ships in the lagoon. | The United States Navy operates Naval Support Facility (NSF) Diego Garcia, a large naval ship and submarine support base, military air base, communications and space-tracking facility, and an anchorage for pre-positioned military supplies for regional operations aboard Military Sealift Command ships in the lagoon. | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
... | The uninhabited islands are asserted to have been discovered by the Portuguese navigator, explorer and diplomat Pedro Mascarenhas in 1512, first named as Dom Garcia, in honour of his patron, Dom Garcia de Noronha when he was detached from the Portuguese India Armadas during his voyage of 1512–1513, but there is little corroborative evidence for this. Another Portuguese expedition with Spanish explorer of Portuguese origin, Diego García de Moguer, rediscovered the island in 1544 and named it after himself. | ||
In the future other explorers arrived on the island and there are {{wikipedia|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Garcia#European_discovery|many other versions}} about the origin of the name of the island that will not be written in here. | |||
Diego Garcia and the rest of the Chagos islands were uninhabited until the late 18th century. From 1881 until 1888 Diego Garcia was the location of two coaling stations for steamships crossing the Indian Ocean. | |||
In 1942 the British opened RAF Station Diego Garcia and established an advanced flying boat unit at the East Point Plantation, staffed and equipped by No 205 and No 240 Squadrons, then stationed on Ceylon. Both [[PBY Catalina]] and Short Sunderland aircraft were flown during the course of World War II in search of Japanese and German submarines and surface raiders. Following the conclusion of hostilities, the station was closed on 30 April 1946. | |||
In the early 1960s, the UK was withdrawing its military presence from the Indian Ocean, and agreed to permit the United States to establish a Naval Communication Station on one of its island territories there. The United States requested an unpopulated island belonging to the UK and ultimately the UK and United States agreed that Diego Garcia was a suitable location. | |||
To accomplish the UK/United States mutual defense strategy, in November 1965, the UK purchased the Chagos Archipelago, which includes Diego Garcia, from the then self-governing colony of Mauritius for £3 million to create the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), from which the United States would conduct its military activities in the region. | |||
On 30 December 1966, the United States and the UK executed an agreement which permits the U.S. to use the BIOT for defense purposes for 50 years (through December 2016), followed by a 20-year optional extension (to 2036) to which both parties must agree. | |||
To the United States, Diego Garcia was too prime a territory to not set-up a foreign military base. According to a civilian working for the Navy at the Pentagon, Diego 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; for it lacked economic interest. To him, Diego Garcia and other acquired islands would play a key role in maintaining U.S. dominance. Here he designed the strategic island concept, where the U.S. would obtain as many less populated islands as possible for military purposes. According to him, this was the only way to ensure security for a foreign base. | |||
Diego Garcia is often referred to as "Fantasy Island" for its remoteness. | |||
The key component in obtaining Diego Garcia, was the lack of Native persons on the island. Prior to setting up a Military base, the United States Government was informed by the British Government-the "owners" of Diego Garcia- that Diego Garcia only had a population within the hundreds, this was in fact proven to be false; the Chagossians numbered within the two thousands. Regardless of population numbers, the Chagossians simply had to go. | |||
In March 1971 United States Naval construction battalions Seabees arrived on Diego Garcia to begin the construction of the Communications Station and an airfield which ended in 1973. | |||
In the early 1970s, setbacks to United States military capabilities caused the United States to request, and the UK to approve, permission to build a fleet anchorage and enlarged airfield on Diego Garcia. | |||
In the early 1980s, the United States received permission for a $400 million expansion of the military facilities on Diego Garcia consisting of two parallel 12000 ft runways, expansive parking aprons for heavy bombers, 20 new anchorages in the lagoon, a deepwater pier, port facilities for the largest naval vessels in the American or British fleet, aircraft hangars, maintenance buildings and an air terminal, a 1,340,000 fuel storage area, and billeting and messing facilities for thousands of sailors and support personnel. | |||
In 1981, the naval air facility was commissioned. It was decommissioned in 1987 and its responsibilities returned to the NSF. | |||
The Strategic Air Command began deploying [[B-52|Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]] bombers and [[Howto:Aerial refueling|aerial refueling]] aircraft to the newly completed airfield facilities in 1987. | |||
Beginning on 7 October 2001, the U.S. again commenced military operations from Diego Garcia using [[Rockwell B-1B Lancer|B-1]], [[B-2]], and [[B-52]] bombers to attack enemy targets in Afghanistan following the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. | |||
Bomber operations ceased from the island on 15 August 2006. | |||
== Technical characteristics == | == Technical characteristics == | ||
| Line 28: | Line 48: | ||
* Runway 13 is suitable for all landings and is served by an ILS system (frequency: 200.00 MHz). | * Runway 13 is suitable for all landings and is served by an ILS system (frequency: 200.00 MHz). | ||
=== Layout === | <!-- === Layout === | ||
... | ... --> | ||
=== Communications === | === Communications === | ||
| Line 75: | Line 95: | ||
== Custom scenery == | == Custom scenery == | ||
{{usr|J Maverick 16}} is currently redesigning the airport from scratch so that the [[scenery]] is as faithful as possible to the real naval air facility. The airport will be submitted for inclusion in the international scenery as soon as the ground layout (nearly done) and the buildings are done; further updates (more buildings, boudaries, decorations...) will be released via [[TerraSync]]. | |||
=== Progress === | === Progress === | ||
| Line 86: | Line 106: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Runway, beacon, PAPI, Tower | | Runway, beacon, PAPI, Tower | ||
| {{progressbar| | | {{progressbar|80}} | ||
| | | Only minor adjustments left. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Taxiway layouts | | Taxiway layouts | ||
| Line 99: | Line 119: | ||
| Aprons | | Aprons | ||
| {{done}} | | {{done}} | ||
| All aprons have been | | All aprons have been designed. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Buildings | | Buildings | ||
| {{progressbar|10}} | | {{progressbar|10}} | ||
| | | Some have been added with the current version (as seen in the img above), but need to be completely replaced with the new one. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Parking positions | | Parking positions, ground net and lights | ||
| {{progressbar|60}} | | {{progressbar|60}} | ||
| Most of the ground net | | Most of the ground net and the lights have been added, have to do the parking position which aren't a lot. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Comprehensive air base scenery | | Comprehensive air base scenery | ||
| Line 115: | Line 135: | ||
== ATC services (NAVY_DG) == | == ATC services (NAVY_DG) == | ||
[[ATC]] service is provided with [[OpenRadar]] sometimes on the afternoons and in the evenings - check [http://flightgear-atc.alwaysdata.net Lenny's ATC website] for the exact times and dates, but usually sessions are unplanned. Only military traffic is allowed. | [[ATC]] service is provided with [[OpenRadar]] (occasionally with [[Mumble]]) sometimes on the afternoons and in the evenings - check [http://flightgear-atc.alwaysdata.net Lenny's ATC website] for the exact times and dates, but usually sessions are unplanned and during weekdays. ''Only military traffic is allowed''. | ||
== | == FlightGear space program == | ||
{{stub}} | {{stub}} | ||
The naval air facility is part of the [[FlightGear space program missions|space program missions]] as airport-landing facility for the [[Space Shuttle]] and others. See the links for further information. | The naval air facility is part of the [[FlightGear space program missions|space program missions]] as airport-landing facility for the [[Space Shuttle]] and others. See the links for further information. | ||
| Line 123: | Line 143: | ||
== Screenshot gallery of FJDG == | == Screenshot gallery of FJDG == | ||
=== WED Development === | === WED Development === | ||
<gallery> | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
File:FJDG before.PNG|[[WED]] screenshot of Diego Garcia before the developement | File:FJDG before.PNG|[[WED]] screenshot of Diego Garcia before the developement. | ||
File:FJDG after01.PNG|Screenshot of [[WED]] after the developing. | File:FJDG after01.PNG|Screenshot of [[WED]] after the developing. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
=== Old layout version === | === Old layout version === | ||
<gallery> | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
File:FJDG.jpg|Very old view of the naval air facility (notice that at that time, the airport was developed). | File:FJDG.jpg|Very old view of the naval air facility (notice that at that time, the airport was developed). | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
=== Current layout version === | === Current layout version === | ||
<gallery> | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
File:B-1B FJDG.JPG|[[B-1B]] Lancer just set off from Diego Garcia. | File:B-1B FJDG.JPG|[[B-1B]] Lancer just set off from Diego Garcia. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
=== New layout version === | <!-- === New layout version === | ||
... | ... --> | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
... | * [[FlightGear space program]] | ||
* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/DoctrineOperationsandDiplomacy/PJHQ/PjobDiegoGarcia.htm UK MOD website on Permanent Joint Operating Base Diego Garcia.] | |||
* [http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=diego_garcia Timeline of Diego Garican History (1770–2008)] | |||
[[Category:Airports in Asia]] | [[Category:Airports in Asia]] | ||