British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)

British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) • Diego Garcia aviation and military infrastructure

Based on the provided sources and following the standard "Forces by Role & Equipment by Type" inventory format, here is the status of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) / Diego Garcia aviation and military infrastructure for the year 2026:

BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY (BIOT) • Diego Garcia British Overseas Territory hosting major United States military facilities. Personnel: 40 United Kingdom navy/marine detachment; approximately 300+ United States Strategic Command and Indo-Pacific Command personnel.

Forces by Role & Equipment by Type
Joint Base Command (Diego Garcia)

• AIRCRAFT & MISSION SYSTEMS (Strategic Host Facilities)

Special Mission (Strategic Surveillance) with 2 systems:

• 1 Spacetrack Optical Tracker (US Strategic Command);
• 1 GEODSS (Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance) system.

Strategic Infrastructure:

• Naval Air Station (Diego Garcia): Permanent facility providing mission support for long-range strategic bombers, tanker aircraft, and transport assets.
• Forward Operating Location: Facility used by specialized reconnaissance aircraft, including the RC-135U Combat Sent and RC-135W Rivet Joint.

• NAVAL LOGISTICS Total 7 principal support vessels.

Maritime Prepositioning (MPS-2) with 7 vessels:

• 2 AKRH (Roll-on/roll-off container ships);
• 3 AKR (Roll-on/roll-off ships);
• 1 AKEH (Dry cargo/ammunition ship);
• 1 ESD (Expeditionary Transfer Dock).
• (Note: These vessels carry equipment sufficient for one Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB)).

Support & Miscellaneous

• 1 Naval Support Facility.

Note: The British Indian Ocean Territory functions as a vital strategic hub in the Indian Ocean, primarily serving as a base for United States Indo-Pacific Command and Strategic Command assets. While it does not maintain an independent resident combat air wing, its infrastructure is designed to support rapid force projection and persistent maritime surveillance. In early 2026, the territory became a point of diplomatic sensitivity, with reports indicating that the United Kingdom was restricting the U.S. use of Diego Garcia for specific air campaigns in the Middle East.