Cyprus Air Command

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The Cyprus Air Command (Template:Langx, Template:Langx), also known as the Cyprus Air Force or Cypriot Air Force, is the armed air wing of the National Guard. This force is equipped with attack and anti-tank helicopters, surface-to-air missile systems and integrated radar systems.

History

The history of Cypriot aviation began on 16 August 1960, after it won its independence from the United Kingdom, when an Air Wing was established on the island which. It was equipped with a small number of light aircraft and mainly performed search and rescue tasks (SAR), transport of the sick, control of fires and marine pollution as well as defense and police forces on the Cypriot coast and territory.

Until 1987, the aircraft of the Cypriot aviation still operated with civilian brands, as the usual military nature of the young air force had not yet developed. In the same year, 3 light helicopters Bell 206, 4 utility helicopters Aérospatiale Gazelle and 2 intermediate trainers Pilatus PC-9.

From this moment on, the Cypriot air force began to adopt for its aircraft a camouflage livery and nationality insignia with the national flag and the classic cockade that perfectly follows that of Greece, the nation with which it exists a strong bond, not only military.[1]

In July 2022, the Cypriot government announced that six Eurocopter EC145 helicopters would be procured from Airbus with an option for six more. These helicopters would cover the roles of reconnaissance and attack. They will be replacing the ageing Mil Mi-24 helicopters in service which are hard and costly to maintain. Turkish Cypriot authorities have called the helicopter purchase as a “provocation”.[2]

Organisation

The Cyprus Air Force consists of two aircraft squadrons.[3] Note that the aircraft of the Cyprus Police operate under a separate command-structure during peacetime.

  • 450th Attack Helicopter Squadron (450 M.E/P)[4]
  • 460th Search And Rescue Squadron (460 MED)[4]

Air Force bases and stations

  • Andreas Papandreou AFB, Paphos (ACTIVE)
The primary airbase of the Cyprus Air Force, this base adjacent to the Paphos International Airport has a runway, taxiway, hardened aircraft-shelters, and integrated command, control and communication facilities.
The reserve airbase of the Cyprus Air Force lay just south of the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. The base rarely hosted fixed-wing aircraft, and simply served as a staging-post for helicopters operating in and out of the Nicosia area.
  • Troodos Stations (ACTIVE)
The Troodos Mountains, the highest mountain range in Cyprus, hosts a number of radar and air-defense facilities. Their unit designations and deployment status are not made public.

Equipment

Aircraft

File:Cyprian AW139 search and rescue helicopter departs the USS Stout (cropped).jpg
A Cypriot AW139 helicopter departs the USS Stout
Aircraft Origin Type Photo Variant In service Notes
Fixed wing aircraft
Embraer ERJ-135 File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil VIP Transport
File:G-SUGA Embraer ERJ 135BJ Legacy 650 (7937309292).jpg
 EMB-135BJ 1 Donated by Greece to Cyprus in September 2022. The aircraft is used to transport the President of the Republic and other government officials.[5]
AIr Tractor AT-802 File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Fire-fighting
File:Air tractor arrendado por CONAF (modified).jpg
 2 Transferred in February 2025 from the Department of Forests to the newly created fire-fighting unit of the National Guard.[6][7]
Helicopters
Airbus H145 File:Flag of France.svg France
File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany 		Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
File:Eurocopter EC645.jpg
 H145M 4 Another 2 on order with an option to buy an additional 6. First 4 delivered in 2025. Equipped with the HForce weapons system.[8][9][10][11]
Aérospatiale Gazelle File:Flag of France.svg France Utility/Anti-tank
File:Aerospatiale SA-342L1 Gazelle..jpg
 Gazelle SA 342L 4 Armed with 4 HOT Anti-tank Guided Missiles.[12][13][14]
AgustaWestland AW139 File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy SAR/Utility
File:Cyprian AW139 search and rescue helicopter departs the USS Stout (cropped).jpg
 AW139 5 Used primarily for Search and Rescue (SAR).[4][12][13]
Bell 206 File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Utility/Transport
File:Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III 111.jpg
 LongRanger III 2 [4][12]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Aerostar File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel Surveillance/Recon
File:Aerostar.jpg
 4 +4 on order.[12][15]
IAI Searcher File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel Surveillance/Recon
File:The Searcher MK-II (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) passes through the Rajpath during the 58th Republic Day Parade - 2007, in New Delhi on January 26, 2007.jpg
 2 [16]

Retired aircraft include the Mil Mi-35P.[17]

Air Defense

File:Tor-M1 SAM (3).jpg
A Tor-M1 surface to air missile system
Name Origin Type Photo In service Notes
Surface-to-air missiles
Iron Dome File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel Surface-to-air missile system
File:IDF Iron Dome 2021.jpg
 In August 2022, Cyprus had signed an agreement with Israel to purchase the Iron Dome for the Cypriot National Guard.[18]
Barak MX File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel Surface-to-air missile system
File:Salon du Bourget 20090619 077.jpg
 Possibly 2 batteries.[19] In operation as of December 2024.[20][21]
TOR M-1 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia 		Surface to air missile system
File:Tor-M1 SAM (2).jpg
 6 Delivered by Greece in replacement for the S-300.[22][12]
Buk M1-2 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia 		Surface to air missile system
File:BUK file1.jpg
 8 Total number of systems is unknown. Possibly 2 batteries with 4 systems each.[12][23][24][25]
Aspide File:Flag of the United States.svg United States
File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy 		Surface to air missile system
File:Batteria.missili.italia.jpg
 24 With 12 Skyguard radars.[22][4]
Mistral File:Flag of France.svg France Man-portable air defense system
Cypriot SHORAD
Cypriot SHORAD
 30 (300 missiles) 18 Mistral MANPADS and 12x2 Mistral Atlas vehicle based systems. More than 300 missiles. More missile on order as of June 2023.[26][4][22]
9K32 Strela-2 File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia 		Man-portable air defense system
File:Een Sloveense militair met een (oefen) Manpads Strela-3 9k34 (2107 D1999480).jpg
 100 Operational numbers may be less.[27]
9S737M Ranzhir-M File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia Mobile command center
File:MAKS Airshow 2013 (Ramenskoye Airport, Russia) (521-41).jpg
 Unknown Mobile Command Centre for the coordination of the TOR air defense network system[28]
Anti aircraft artillery
GDF-005 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Anti-aircraft gun
File:Oerlikon GDF-006 35mm Twin Cannon Display at Hsinchu AFB 20151121a.jpg
 24 2x35mm anti-aircraft gun.[4][22]
Zastava M-55 File:Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Yugoslavia Anti-aircraft gun
File:M-55A3 3-20mm VS.jpg
 50 3x20mm anti-aircraft gun.[4]


In 1998 two S-300 PMU1 systems were delivered, but then transferred to Hellenic Air Force that same year due to political considerations regarding the Cyprus Missile Crisis.

Aerial incidents between Cyprus and Turkey

Paphos Incident – 22 October 2000

On 22 October 2000, Tor-M1 air-defense batteries operated by the Cyprus National Guard at Papandreou Air Base tracked a pair of Turkish warplanes detected approaching the airbase by "locking on" to them. By Jean Christou, Cyprus Mail, 7 April 2002. The action of engaging the Turkish aircraft with radar forced the warplanes to retreat from the area, as Greek Cypriot and Greek forces conducted joint military maneuvers in the Paphos region. The incident prompted an angry outburst from the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktaş, who was reported in the media to have condemned the radar lock-on as a provocation that could lead to war.[29]

Paphos Incident – 5 April 2002

It was variously reported in the Cyprus media that combat radars of the Cyprus National Guard, based at Papandreou Air Base in Paphos, had tracked two Turkish F-16 warplanes at 11am on 5 April 2002, by "locking-on" to them. The two Turkish aircraft were reported to have incurred into the Nicosia Flight Information Region and then passed directly over the Greek Cypriot airbase at an altitude of 3500 feet. Upon realizing that they were being tracked, the two Turkish aircraft turned back towards Turkey, and then returned to their airbase.

Cyprus EEZ - 18 August 2022

On 18 August 2022, Cypriot and Greek radars spotted a Turkish Navy ATR 72 whilst flying over Block 6 of the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. According to media sources, the plane did a low pass at 4,500 feet, however a Cypriot official claimed that the plane did no such thing and remained at 29,000.[30]

Ranks

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Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/BlankTemplate:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OF/Cyprus

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/Cyprus
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted

See also

References

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  1. ↑ JP4 - Monthly of Aeronautica - n ° 8 year XXXIV - August 2005.
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  18. ↑ Cyprus decides to buy Israel's Iron Dome rocket defense system - report. The Jerusalem Post. 21 August 2022.
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  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Sources

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