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Emblem of the National Guard of Cyprus.

The Cypriot National Guard is a combined arms force and represents the organised air, land and sea capabilities of the Republic of Cyprus. Equipment is mostly imported from other countries, since the country has very limited heavy industrial and commercial industrial capacity due to its small population and land mass (excluding Northern Cyprus). The role of maintaining, upgrading and modifying military equipment is primarily the task of the National Guard Technical Corps, though more complex activities rely upon the availability of civil contracts. As of 2023, the Republic of Cyprus will no longer be under US Defence sanctions opening the National Guard to the sale of US defence products.[1]

Infantry Equipment

This list contains equipment which is in use by the Cypriot National Guard.

Camouflages

Model Origin Type Photo Details
Camoflages
Multicam  United States Camouflage pattern
Introduced in 2019 as part of westernization of the National Guard
Woodland Digital  United States Camouflage pattern
Used by LOK
UCP  United States Camouflage pattern
Limited use by the National Guard's Special forces elements
Cypriot Lizard  Cyprus Camouflage pattern Retired in the 2010's - used by Reservists
Greek Lizard  Greece Camouflage pattern Used by ELDYK

Infantry weapons

Model Origin Cartridge Photo Notes
Handguns
HK USP  Germany 9x19mm Parabellum
[2]
FN Five-Seven  Belgium FN 5.7×28mm
250 used by Special Forces.[2]
Submachine guns
FN P90  Belgium FN 5.7×28mm
350 used by the Special Forces.[2]
Assault rifles
HK G3  West Germany
 Greece 		7.62×51mm NATO
Standard Issue Rifle. The versions operated by the National Guard are mainly the G3A3 and G3A4 (shown in the picture, the upper one is the G3A4 and the lower one is the G3A3).[3][4]
AK-74M  Russia 5.45×39mm
AK-74M version in use by the National Guard.[5]
Vz.58  Czechoslovakia 7.62×39mm
Used for a brief period of time by the Special Forces in 2016.[6][7]
Colt M16A2  United States 5.56×45mm NATO
Used by OYK.[2]
FN SCAR-L  Belgium 5.56×45mm NATO
Used by the Special Forces.[8][9]
FN SCAR-H (TPR Variant) 7.62×51mm NATO
IWI Tavor X95  Israel 5.56×45mm NATO
Used by the Special Forces.[10]
Sniper rifles
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare  United Kingdom .338 Lapua Magnum
Used by the Special Forces [11][12]
Accuracy International AX50  United Kingdom .50 BMG
Used by the Special Forces [11][12]
Machine guns
MG 3  West Germany
 Greece		 7.62×51mm NATO
[2][4]
HK21  Germany 7.62×51mm NATO
A variation of the HK G3 with a heavier barrel.[2][4]
FN MAG  Belgium 7.62×51mm NATO
[2]
IWI Negev  Israel 5.56×45mm NATO
Used by mechanised infantry, paratroopers and the Special Forces.[13][9]
7.62×51mm NATO
M2 Browning  United States .50 BMG
[14]
Grenade launchers
STK 40 AGL  Singapore 40 mm grenade
[2][15][16]
Anti-tank weapons
M72 LAW  United States Rocket-propelled grenade 66mm
[17]
RPG-7V  Russia Rocket-propelled grenade 85mm
1,000+ launchers.[18]
M40A1  United States Recoilless rifle 105mm
144 M40A1s as of 2016.[19][17]
RAC 112 APILAS  France Recoilless anti-tank weapon 112mm
1,000+ launchers.[17]
9M117 Bastion  Russia Anti-tank guided missile 100mm
Line-of-sight, beam-riding missile (LOSBR) fired from the BMP-3 IFV, 700 missiles delivered in 1996.[20]
9M117 Refleks  Russia Anti-tank guided missile 120mm
Fired from the 125mm main gun of the T80U and T80UK main battle tanks of the National Guard.[21]
MILAN III  France Anti-tank guided missile 115mm
45 launchers, 1,000+ missiles.[22][23]
SPIKE LR2  Israel
 Germany 		Anti-tank guided missile 130mm
Agreement reportedly signed in 2023, arrival dates are unknown. No official statement regarding the purchase.[24]
Euromissile Mephisto  France Anti-tank guided missile 150mm
18 systems. Mounted on the 18 VAB VCAC APCs of the National Guard with four ready-to-fire HOT-2 anti-tank missiles and eight more in reserve, 500 missiles.[17][23]

Land Forces

Armored vehicles

Model Origin Photo Variant Quantity Notes
Main battle tanks (MBTs)
T-80  Russia
Cypriot T80U
Cypriot T80U
 T-80U 54 A total of 82 MBTs acquired between 1996 and 2011.[25]
T-80UK 28
AMX-30  France
AMX-30B2 52 Another 61 AMX-30s have been withdrawn from active service and are waiting to be scrapped; some will be kept for museums. May be replaced by Israeli Merkava.[17][26][27][28]
Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs)
BMP-3  Russia
BMP-3 (Basic Version) 43 Deal worth $68 million, and delivered in 1995–1996.[23]
Armored reconnaissance vehicles
EE-9 Cascavel  Brazil
Cascavel Mk IV/V 126 Entered service from 1984 to 1988. It has a top speed of 80 km/h off-road and 110 km/h on-road. It is armed with a 90 mm Belgian Cockerill Mk 3 gun, improved day and night optics with laser rangefinder, and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft MG.[23]
EE-3 Jararaca  Brazil
EE-3 Tank destroyer 36 Entered service from 1984 to 1985, 24 are armed with a MILAN ATGM system. The vehicle has a 3-man crew with a top speed of 100 km/h and is armed with 1 x 20-mm Rh202 autocannon, and 1 x 12.7mm machine gun.[23]
Armoured personnel carriers (APCs)
ELVO Leonidas  Greece
Greek Leonidas-2 APC
Greek Leonidas-2 APC
 Leonidas-2 197 Based on the Austrian Saurer 4K 4FA.[23]
VAB  France
VAB-PC 4 A total of 147 vehicles are operated by the National Guard. The VAB VCAC variant is equipped with the Euromissile Mephisto anti-tank missile system. (See infantry weapons above.)[23][29]
VAB-VTT 98
VAB VCI 17
VAB VCAC 18
EE-11 Urutu  Brazil
Unknown 10 Status uncertain.[23]
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs)
BOV M16 Miloš  Serbia
Artillery reconnaissance – command vehicle 8 Part of a $50 mil. deal that included Nora B-52. Delivered in 2019. The 8 BOV M16 are used as artillery reconnaissance and battery command vehicles for the 24 Nora B-52 self-propelled howitzers of the National Guard.[30][31]
Armored recovery vehicles (ARVs)
BREM-80  Russia
BREM-80U 8 Based on the T-80 chassis.[32]
AMX-30  France
AMX-30D 2 [23]

Artillery

Model Origin Type Photo Number Notes
Rocket artillery
M-63 Plamen  Yugoslavia 128mm towed multiple rocket launcher
24 [23][17]
M-77 Oganj  Yugoslavia 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
8 Status uncertain.[23]
BM-21 Grad  Russia 122mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
4 Probably second hand.[23]
Self-propelled artillery
Nora B-52  Serbia 155mm self-propelled howitzer
24 First batch received in 2019.[33]
Zuzana  Slovakia 155mm self-propelled howitzer
12 Ordered in 2001 and delivered in 2007 via Greece.[23]
Mk F3 155mm  France 155mm self-propelled howitzer
12 Delivered in 1991.[23]
M107  United States 175mm self-propelled howitzer
12 [34][17]
M110A2  United States 203mm self-propelled howitzer
8 [34][17]
Tatrapan  Slovakia Artillery command vehicle 3 [34][17]
Towed artillery
M-56  Yugoslavia 105mm towed howitzer
72 Delivered in 1986.[34][23]
M1944 BS-3  Soviet Union 100mm towed gun
20 Most if not all have been transferred to Ukraine.
M-114  United States 155mm towed howitzer
12 [34][17]
TRF1  France 155mm towed howitzer
French 155mm TRF1 Towed Artillery
French 155mm TRF1 Towed Artillery
 12 Delivered in 1991.[34][23]
Mortars
E44-E Mortar  Greece 81mm mortar
180 [17]
M29 Mortar  United States 81mm mortar
Unknown In use as of 2000.[35]
M30 Mortar  United States 106.7mm mortar
26 To be fully retired.[36]
MO-120-RT  France 120mm mortar
120mm Mortar
120mm Mortar
 116 Delivered in 1990-1991. 12 equipped on mortar carriers.[23][17]

Airforce

Air defense

Name Origin Type Photo In service Notes
Surface-to-air missiles
TOR M-1  Russia Surface-to-air missile system
6 Delivered by Greece in replacement for the S-300.[23][37]
Buk M1-2  Russia Surface-to-air missile system
8 Total number of systems is unknown. Could be 2 batteries with 4 systems each.[37][38][39][40]
Aspide  Italy Surface-to-air missile system
24 With 12 Skyguard radars.[23][17]
Mistral  France Man-portable air-defense system
Cypriot SHORAD
Cypriot SHORAD
 30 18 Mistral MANPADS and 12x2 Mistral Atlas vehicle based systems. More than 300 missiles. More missile on order as of June 2023.[41][17][23][34]
9K32 Strela-2  Russia Man-portable air-defense system 100 Operational Numbers may be less[42]
Anti aircraft artillery
GDF-005   Switzerland Anti-aircraft gun
24 2x35mm anti-aircraft gun.[17][23]
Zastava M-55  Yugoslavia Anti-aircraft gun
50 3x20mm anti-aircraft gun.[17]

Aircraft

Aircraft Origin Type Photo Variant In service Notes
Fixed wing aircraft
Embraer ERJ-135  Brazil VIP Transport
EMB-135BJ 1 Donated by Greece to Cyprus in September 2022. The aircraft is used to transport the President of the Republic, the minister of Defence, the minister of foreign affairs, the minister of finance and other government officials[43]
Helicopters
Airbus H145  France
 Germany 		Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
H145M 0 6 on order with an option to buy another 6. Expected to arrive by late 2023.[44][45]
Aérospatiale Gazelle  France Utility/Anti-tank
Gazelle SA 342L 4 Armed with 4 HOT Anti-tank Guided Missiles.[37][46][47]
AgustaWestland AW139  Italy SAR/Utility
AW139 5 Used primarily for Search and Rescue (SAR).[17][37][46]
Bell 206  United States Utility/Transport
LongRanger III 2 [17][37]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Aerostar  Israel Surveillance/Recon
4 +4 on order.[37][48]
IAI Searcher  Israel Surveillance/Recon
2 [49]

Retired aircraft include the Mil Mi-35P.[50]

Naval Forces

Surface defense

Name Origin Type Photo In service Notes
Surface-to-surface missiles
Exocet  France Mobile surface-to-surface missile
3 batteries. Block 3+ modernization part of $250 mil. bought along side Mistral 3

Surface Ships

Class Origin Vessel Type Photo Name In Service Length Notes
Surface Fleet
Al Mumbrukah  United Kingdom Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)
"Alasia" 1 62m Gift from the Sultan of Oman, refitted for military purposes in 2017[51][52][53]
Saar 62  Israel Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) "Andreas Ioannides" 1 62m Part of deal for 2 ships of same class from 2017, one of the newest ships of the NG[54][53]
Rodman 55  Spain Fast Assault boat "Agathos" "Panagos" 2 17m Acquired in 2002, Used by Special Forces.[53]
RIB 42' SF  Italy Fast Assault boat "Nireas 1" "Poseidonas 1 " 2 13m Used by Special Forces actively [53]
FPB C382  Italy Fast Patrol Boat "Eleftherios Tsomakis" "Nikolas Georgiou" 2 27m [53]
Esterel  France Fast Patrol Boat "Salamis" 1 32m Oldest active ship in the National Guard naval forces - Heavily upgraded[53]
FPB  Finland Multitask Patrol Boat "Ammochostos" 1 26m Donated from the ministry of agriculture [53][55]

Future Procurements

In the last decade the Cypriot National Guard has pushed for a complete modernization of its capabilities and equipment. In light of the recent lifting of the US imposed embargo of the 80's in 2022 Cyprus has started seek interest in multiple western weapon systems. Cyprus also being a part of the European Union means it is part of defensive programs involving other European Nations.[56]

Name Origin Type Photo Number Expected Arrival Notes
Exocet MM40 Block 3  France Mobile surface-to-surface missile
Upgrade Package N/A The Exocet deal of the came along side with the orders of new Mistral III MANPAD systems from France in 2021, the deal cost $260 mil.[57][58]
Mistral III  France SHORAD / MANPADs Unknown N/A The Mistral deal of the came along side with the orders of new Exocet block 3 systems from France.[58]
Iron Dome  Israel Air defense System Unknown N/A Not much is known on the deal, claims on agreement came to light in 2022[citation needed]
Saar 62  Israel Offshore Patrol Vessel 1 N/A Original deal underlined that 2 Saar 62s would enter service, only one did until now in 2017, order still hasn't been canceled.[59]
Airbus H145  France /  Germany Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter 6 + 6 First batch 2024 (6) Ordered in 2021
BLOS  France
 Belgium
 Sweden
 Cyprus 		Beyond Line of sight missile Unknown Unknown PESCO project between multiple European Nations coordinated by France to develop a new Beyond line of Sight missile system, Testing of the system was conducted in Cyprus in the summer of 2022. The development program includes local Cypriot companies and famous defense companies such as MBDA and THALES.[60]

Gallery

See also

References

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