Cyprus Air Command
Air Command of Cyprus | |
---|---|
Διοίκηση Αεροπορίας Κύπρου (Greek) Kıbrıs Hava Komutanlığı (Turkish) | |
Founded | 1964 |
Country | Cyprus |
Branch | Air force |
Role | Aerial warfare |
Size | 1,200 personnel 20 helicopters, 2 fixed wing aircraft, 4 unmanned aerial vehicles. On order: 4 helicopters + 4 UAVs |
Part of |
The Cyprus Air Command (
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
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.
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.
- Lakatamia AFB, Nicosia (HEADQUARTERS)
- 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
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transport | ||||||
Embraer ERJ-135
|
Brazil | transport / utility | 1[5] | donated by Greece | ||
Helicopters
| ||||||
Bell 206 | United States | utility | 206L | 2[6] | ||
Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | scout / patrol | 342 | 4[7] | ||
AgustaWestland AW139 | Italy | SAR / utility | 3[7] | |||
Airbus Helicopters H145 | France / Germany | SAR / utility | H145M | 6 on order[7] | ||
Trainer Aircraft
| ||||||
Pilatus PC-9 | Switzerland | trainer / attack | PC-9M | 1[6] |
Air Defense
Name | Origin | Type | In service | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAM | ||||||
9K331 Tor-M1 | Russia | mobile SAM system | 6[8] | |||
Aspide | Italy | SAM system | 130[8] | |||
Oerlikon GDF | Switzerland | anti-aircraft | 30[8] | towed 35mm anti-aircraft gun |
In 1998 two
Aerial incidents between Cyprus and Turkey
Paphos Incident – 22 October 2000
On 22 October 2000,
Paphos Incident – 5 April 2002
It was variously reported in the
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. [10]
See also
- Armoured vehicles of the Cypriot National Guard
- Cypriot National Guard
- Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center
- List of equipment of the Cypriot National Guard
References
- ^ JP4 - Monthly of Aeronautica - n ° 8 year XXXIV - August 2005.
- ^ "Cyprus signs deal for Airbus attack helicopters". abcnews.go.com. ABC News. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Cyprus Air Command". Aeroflight. 9 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018.
- ^ a b "Cyprus Air Force". Aeroflight. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ "Ευχαρίστησε τον Μητσοτάκη για την δωρεά του προεδρικού αεροσκάφους ο Αναστασιάδης". reporter.com.cy. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Cyprus Air Command". aeroflight.co.uk. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ a b c "World Air Forces 2023". Flight Global. Flightglobal Insight. 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Trade Registers. Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved on 14 December 2017.
- ^ Alex Efty (24 October 2000). "Denktash Warns of War Risk". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^ "Turkish 'spy plane' makes low pass over Cyprus' EEZ | Cyprus Mail".
Sources
- Cyprus National Guard Official website (Air Force section – in Greek)
- Cyprus Air Force
- Cyprus National Guard, Air Force Command
- Tom Cooper "Cyprus, 1955–1973", ACIG Journal
- Tom Cooper & Nicholas Tselepidis "Cyprus 1974", ACIG Journal
- Dirk Jan de Ridder "Cypriot Gunships", Ridder.aero
- Air Defence of Cyprus (in Greek)