In the early 1960s, the UK was withdrawing its military presence from the Indian Ocean, not including the airfield at RAF Gan to the north of Diego Garcia in the Maldives (which remained open until 1976), and agreed to permit the United States to establish a naval communication station on one of its island territories there.
A principios de 1960, o Reino Unido ía retirar a súa presenza militar na zona do Océano Índico, agás a base de RAF Gan ao norte de Diego García, nas Maldivas (que permaneceu aberta ata 1976), un acordou permitiu aos EE.UU. establecer unha Estación de Comunicación Naval nunha das illas do territorio.