DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Dan Sullivan) (08/09/90)
From: Dan Sullivan <DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM> In the last several days I have heard comments like the follwowing: "The runways at Diego Garcia have been extended to support larger aircraft" and "... B-52 launched from Diego Garcia" I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? thanks, in advance dan sullivan
bxr307@csc.anu.oz (08/14/90)
From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz In article <1990Aug9.015845.8381@cbnews.att.com>, DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Dan Sullivan) writes: > > > From: Dan Sullivan <DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM> > In the last several days I have heard comments like the follwowing: > "The runways at Diego Garcia have been extended to support larger > aircraft" and "... B-52 launched from Diego Garcia" > I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was > used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? > thanks, in advance Diego Garcia is basically a very small atoll in the Indian Ocean. It is under the control of the British Government and leased o the US. It has been developed as a forward base for the US Rapid Deployment Force for about the last 10 years. When the US first leased it, it was basically a very pretty little island. Now that they have finished with it, it is been completely concreted over, has one very large long runway and a small port. The Island is so small the the airfield Control Tower has been placed on an adjacent small rocky outcrop and is reached by boat! Also stationed there at last report were several very large ro-ro ships which carry all the equipment for the RDF in place (like the POMCUS Sights in Europe for use of the Reforger units). Brian Ross
skidrow@ceres.ucsc.edu (08/14/90)
From: skidrow@ceres.ucsc.edu DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Dan Sullivan) writes: >From: Dan Sullivan <DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM> > In the last several days I have heard comments like the follwowing: >"The runways at Diego Garcia have been extended to support larger >aircraft" and "... B-52 launched from Diego Garcia" > I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was >used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? >thanks, in advance >dan sullivan Diego Garcia is a small (very) island in the Indian Ocean that functions as the forward pre-positioning base for U.S. military supplies, including hardware and ammo for forces operating in the Persian Gulf region. Originally in the early-80s, DoD planners requested several Persian Gulf states for permission to either base forward units or accept stockpiles of equipment for the R.D.F and other units, but were turned down by most for political reasons. (except for Oman, but then not a great deal of it either) Finally, the British effectively transferred control of one of their protectorates, Diego Garcia, to the U.S. for this expressed purpose. However, it is way out (3000 miles) from the Middle East but is the closest _secure_ site. For the past decade, the military has been accumulating enough equipment and supplies to keep a sizeable no. of troops operational in the Middle East. Diego Garcia is meant only as a pre-positioning site in aiding top get ground forces quicker to their destinations and cannot substain a prolonged exercise. At Diego Garciam you have Navy Seabees constructing more and more facilities, and a nominal complement of cargo ships loaded and ready to go. I'd imagine at the current pace of deployment into Saudi Arabia, that most of the stores have been sent forward. - Gary M. Lin Computer Engineering, UCSC skidrow@ceres.ucsc.edu !ucbvax!ucscc!ceres!skidrow
woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Wood) (08/14/90)
From: eos!woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Wood) In article <1990Aug9.015845.8381@cbnews.att.com> DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Dan Sullivan) writes: > I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was >used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? >thanks, in advance diego garcia is a festering pimple on God's ass out in the middle of the indian ocean (read that as nowhere). i believe it was originally a british fueling stop prior to and during WWII. i think we came into possession of it through the brits during WWII, probably as payment for lend-lease. originally it was nothing more than an airfield, and i believe a listening post aimed at china. after the iranian 'rescue' attempt the powers-that-be 'discovered' just how weak we were in the IO, so they beefed up the airfield on diego garcia and also added warehouses, fuel/ammo storage facilities for use as part of the global pre-positioned equipment planning. diego garcia gets regular visits from the pacific fleet as they send task forces over to loiter around on gonzo station (the persian gulf). /*** woody **************************************************************** *** ...tongue tied and twisted, just an earth bound misfit, I... *** *** -- David Gilmour, Pink Floyd *** ****** woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov *** my opinions, like my mind, are my own ******/
military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) (08/15/90)
From: uw-beaver!mcgp1!flak (Dan Flak) In article <1990Aug9.015845.8381@cbnews.att.com> DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Dan Sullivan) writes: > I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was >used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? >thanks, in advance I spent a year in Deigo Garcia, one month (Aug 80) working the USAF airlift effort supporting the Middle East. Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories, is named for Magellan's navigator, and is located approximately 1,000 miles south of Sri Lanka (About halfway between Northwestern Austraila and Saudi Arabia). Used primarily as a coconut plantation 100 years ago (the non-operating plantation is still there and is a museum and wildlife refuge), it now also contains a U.S. Naval Support Facility. The island is a horse shoe shaped (with the "open end" of the horse shoe facing north) atol which runs approximately 13 miles from one end of the horse shoe to the other. The east end of the horse shoe is the plantation, the north west end contains the naval base. The runway runs diagonally across the midsection of the west leg of the horse shoe, and is approximately 12,000 feet long. Although the facility is capable of landing just about anything (space shuttle excluded?), it can't park that many aircraft (at least as of 1980). Three C-141's and a C-5 will just about max out the island. Also, the island isn't set up to accomodate many visitors. They'd have to be set up in tents. However, this isn't much of a problem. Being 7 degrees south of the Equator, and in the middle of a large mass of water, the temperature is a constant 80-95 degrees with warm breezes. The air route for supply to the Middle East is West Coast, Hawaii, Phillippines, then either overfly the Thai penninsula, or zig zag through the straits (sorry I forget the name) between Thailand and Indonesia to Diego Garcia. Then onto Oman, or whatever. With unaugmented crews handing over the aircraft to prepositioned crews at every stop, it will take about 2 days for cargo to go from California to the Middle East. Augmented crews, flying 24 hours a day (literally - there would be one crew change) and in- flight refueling may knock 8 to 12 hours off the trip. Assuming you don't want totally exhausted troops on arrival, you may want to rest personnel at Clark Airbase for an additional 24 hours. Due to the parking problems mentioned above, limited materials handling equipment, and few maintenance personnel / facilities (the latter two limitations could be "beefed up"), it is unlikely that more than a half dozen aircraft can be cycled through the island each day. (That's 6 sorties Clark - Diego - Mid East and 6 sorties for return for a total of 12 aircraft in the bi-directional pipeline). Diego Garcia is a base which is to be transited by aircraft. It isn't one where we could establish a squadron easily. It would be interesting to speculate if we could support this type of mission without either Diego Garcia or Clark Airbase (or both!). -- Dan Flak - McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., 201 Elliot Ave W., Suite 105, Seattle, Wa 98119, 206-286-4355, (usenet: thebes!mcgp1!flak)
fred@uunet.UU.NET (Fred Brooks) (08/15/90)
From: sma2!fred@uunet.UU.NET (Fred Brooks) In article <1990Aug9.015845.8381@cbnews.att.com> DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Dan Sullivan) writes: > > >From: Dan Sullivan <DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM> > In the last several days I have heard comments like the follwowing: >"The runways at Diego Garcia have been extended to support larger >aircraft" and "... B-52 launched from Diego Garcia" > I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was >used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? >thanks, in advance >dan sullivan As usual when the USAF takes over a base they make it a country club. The place now has three clubs, a olympic size swimming pool and a golf course. I was first there about 10 years ago when it as primarily run by the Navy. Then it was a small base mainly for communications support. I went back a few years ago for a few weeks on a contract my company had with the Navy, I flew in from Clark Airbase in the Philippines on a C-5 and went thru British immigration and customs. They run the island and while you are there you are under English law. Don't eat the crabs or mess with the cats that run wild all over the place. I spent most of my free time fishing and drinking at the merchant seamans club. The runways and facilities have been expanded to handle about any size plane. I saw several C-141's, C-130's and the C-5 that I flew in near the hangars. In the harbor I saw what looked like two big supply ships. I was told that they were full of tanks, ammo and supplies for the Rapid Deployment Force. The trip from the gulf from there is about two weeks (Once I took a USN supply ship from OMAN to Giego Garcia) so I would say heavy ground forces should be leaving the states about now to meet their equipment. -- Defend your 2nd amendment rights. Fred Brooks (503) 255-3990 Portland Oregon
jeffh@oregon.uoregon.edu (Jeff Hite) (08/15/90)
From: jeffh@oregon.uoregon.edu (Jeff Hite) >Dan Sullivan <DAN.S.SULLIVAN@OFFICE.WANG.COM> writes: > In the last several days I have heard comments like the follwowing: >"The runways at Diego Garcia have been extended to support larger >aircraft" and "... B-52 launched from Diego Garcia" > I am confused. I thought Diego Garcia was a very small base that was >used as a listening post. What exactly is Diego Garcia? I had the "pleasure" of visiting Diego Garcia in late 1979 while stationed aboard USS Waddell (DDG-24). It was our first landfall in 63 days while "showing the flag" in the Arabian Sea during the overthrow of the Shah of Iran.
cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) (08/17/90)
From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) >From article <1990Aug15.032056.25897@cbnews.att.com>, by uw-beaver!mcgp1!flak (Dan Flak): > > > It would be interesting to speculate if we could support this type > of mission without either Diego Garcia or Clark Airbase (or > both!). > -- During the past couple of years, when the Phillipine Govt. has threatened to toss the US out of our bases, there have been serious offers from other Pacific Rim countries to provide basing. Most notable is Singapore; they have made very serious offers to allow extensive bases which would be the equivalent of Subic and Clark. The interesting part of this is that the Pacific Rim countries are motivated by the fear of Japan re-establishing the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" if the US withdraws from its bases in the Phillipines. It is even possible that Viet Nam would entertain re-opening Cam Ranh to US forces if the Russians withdraw - same motivation. I suppose it is similar to the apprehension felt by the French and the British (and Russians) to German re-unification; the Pacific countries have memories of Japanese aggression. So we probably could secure suitable harbors and airfields other than the Phillipines if necessary. However, without any presence at all, the supply problem would be most severe going westward. Pat Kauffold AT&T Bell Labs Naperville IL (708) 713-4726
henry@kodak.kodak.com (Bob Henry) (08/23/90)
From: henry@kodak.kodak.com (Bob Henry) Back in 1972, Mobile Construction Battalion (MCB) 133, U.S.Navy SeaBees was to deploy to Diego Garcia. We were to help finish a "listening post" and runway. I was just finishing 4 years with the 'Bees (1 with MCB-7 in 'Nam) so I didn't tag along. I remember at the time that most of us thought the Indian Ocean was a strange place for a "listening post". Maybe someone saw this one coming?...18 Years ago... BTW - A lot of my friends weren't as "short" as I was so they had to go on deployment. Their biggest worry was about the stories that you had to protect your "family jewels" when using the "4-holers". Seems the local Cobras liked to sit in the dark...and when you sat down... oooo! _________________ | ___ ________ | | | / / | | Bob Henry UUCP:...!rochester!park!henry | | / / | | Eastman Kodak Company | |< < K O D A K| | Engineering Systems Division | | \ \ | | 1669 Lake Avenue | |__\ \________| | Rochester, N.Y. 14652-4201 (716) 477-1936 |_________________| FAX: (716) 722-6592