British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories (BFBIOT) is the name for the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, su ...

Permanent Joint Operating Base (PJOB) on Diego Garcia, in the

British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia. The territory comprises the seven atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 ...

.Permanent Joint Operating Bases (PJOBs)
www.gov.uk, 12 December 2012 While the naval and airbase facilities on Diego Garcia are leased to the United States as

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia is a British Ministry of Defence facility leased to the United States Navy, located on the atoll Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Camp Thunder Cove is part of the facility, and is operated by the United Sta ...

, in practice, the base operates as a joint UK-US base, with the United Kingdom retaining full and continual access. Diego Garcia is strategically located, offering access to East Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The base serves as a staging area for the buildup or resupply of military forces prior to an operation.

Naval Party 1002 and MV ''Grampian Frontier''

Naval Party 1002 (NP 1002) is directly present in the territory and is composed of both

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

and

Royal Marine The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

personnel. NP 1002 is responsible for civil administration and enforcement. Its members are tasked with policing and carrying out customs duties. Royal Marines in the territory also reportedly form a security detachment. Prior to 2017, the BIOT Patrol Vessel the MV ''Pacific Marlin'' was based in Diego Garcia. It was operated by the

Swire Pacific Swire Group () is a Hong Kong- and London-based British conglomerate. Many of its core businesses can be found within the Asia Pacific region, where traditionally Swire's operations have centred on Hong Kong and mainland China. Within Asia ...

Offshore Group. The MV ''Pacific Marlin'' patroled the marine reserve all year, and since the marine reserve was designated in April 2010, the number of apprehensions of illegal vessels within the area has increased. The ship was built in 1978 as an oceangoing tug. It is 57.7 metres long with a draft of 3.8 metres and gross tonnage 1,200. It has a maximum speed of 12.5 knots with an economic speed of 11 knots, permitting a range of about 18,000 nautical miles and fuel endurance of 68 days. It was the oldest vessel in the Swire fleet. ''Pacific Marlin'' reportedly spent about 54% of her taskings on Fishery Patrol duties and a further 19% on military patrol duties. In 2016 a new contract was signed with Scottish-based North Star Shippping for the use of the vessel MV ''Grampian Frontier''. She is a 70-meter vessel carrying up to 24 personnel and fulfills both the patrol and research role. The vessel reportedly operates in conjunction with personnel from NP 1002 on both fisheries and military enforcement tasks/exercises and also carries scientists/researchers involved in a range of research work, particularly conservation. In 2022, ''Grampian Frontier'' tracked a Mauritian-charted vessel temporarily bringing Chagossian exiles to Blenheim reef in the archipelego.Welcome to Diego Garcia
, page 3, DIEGO GARCIA, A BRITISH TERRITORY, public.navy.mil

References

External links

Diego Garcia: Britain's Rare Tropical Posting
(forces.tv) British Army deployments Joint commands of the United Kingdom Military of the British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories {{UK-mil-stub

Naval Party 1002 and MV ''Grampian Frontier''

See also

References

External links