Cyprus Air Forces

Cyprus Air Forces
Air Command of Cyprus
Διοίκησης Αεροπορίας Κύπρου
Air Command of Cyprus.gif
Cyprus Air Command Emblem
Active 12,1963
Country  Cyprus
Branch Air Force
Size 20 Helicopters, 2 Systems of UAVs and 2 Fixed Wing
Part of Cypriot National Guard
Commanders
Current
commander
Major-General Anastasios Katsimpras
Insignia
Fin Flash Flag of Cyprus.svg
Air Wing Roundel Hellenic Air Force Roundel.svg
Low visibility Air Wing Roundel Cyprus-roundel low.svg

The Cyprus Air Command (Greek Διοίκησης Αεροπορίας Κύπρου) is the armed air wing of the National Guard. This force does not have any fixed wing combat aircraft, but is equipped with attack and anti-tank helicopters, surface-to-air missile and integrated radar systems, as well as Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Contents

Current Air Force Organization

The Cyprus Air Force currently consists of two helicopter squadrons along with a UAV squadron equipped with IAI Searcher 2 Unmanned aerial vehicles. The Cyprus Air Force also possesses a Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, which is due to equip with its own aircraft. It should be noted that the aircraft of the Cyprus Police are maintained under a separate command structure during peacetime.

  • 449th Antitank Helicopter Squadron (Μοίρα Αντιαρματικών Ελικοπτέρων)
  • 450th Helicopter Squadron (Μοίρα Ελικοπτέρων)
  • UAV Squadron
  • Search & Rescue Coordination Centre (Κέντρο Συντονισμού Έρευνας – Διάσωσης)

Air Force Bases and Stations

  • Papandreou AFB, Paphos
The primary air base of the Cyprus Air Force, this base is located adjacent to the Paphos International Airport and is equipped with runway, taxiway, hardened aircraft shelters and integrated command, control and communication facilities. Papandreou AFB also houses a small helicopter overhaul and maintenance facility.
  • Lakatamia AFB, Nicosia
This is the reserve air base of the Cyprus Air Force and is located just south of the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. The base rarely hosts fixed-wing aircraft, and simply serves as a staging post for helicopters operating in and out of the Nicosia area.
  • Troodos Stations
The highest mountain in Cyprus hosts a number of radar and air-defence facilities. Their unit designations and deployment status are not of public knowledge.

Note: In an emergency, Cypriot military and paramilitary aircraft can operate from Paphos and Larnaca International Airports, as well as from prepared stretches of motorway that are equipped with landing zones and paved operating areas.

Current Air Force Inventory

Aircraft Photo Origin Type Versions In service Squadron Base Notes
Mi-35
Mil Mi-35P.jpg
Russia
Attack Helicopter Mil Mi-35P "Black Panther" 11 450 Sqd 1st detachment Paphos 12 delivered, 1 lost in accident in 2006. Major upgrade planned in 2010 for the addition of night capability and self-defensive systems.
Gazelle
Aerospatiale SA-342L1 Gazelle.jpg
France
Anti-tank Helicopter SA-342L1 Gazelle 4 449 Sqd 1st detachment Lakatamia 6 ordered in 1987, 4 currently active.
Bell 206
Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III 111.jpg
United States
Utility Helicopter Bell-206L3 Long Ranger 2 449 Sqd 2nd detachment Lakatamia 3 procured in 1990 (2 equipped to carry 75mm rocket pods and 1 as Government VIP version). One aircraft lost in 2002.
AW139
Aw139-275.jpg
Italy
Utility Helicopter AW139 3 Search and Rescue Coordination Centre Paphos 3 aircraft on order from Agusta Westland for the CSAR role. Requested fully night capable with armour. All three arrived on March 12th 2011.
Pilatus PC-9
Pilatus.pc-9.fairford2006.arp.jpg
Switzerland
Training Aircraft Pilatus PC-9M 1 450 Sqd 2nd detachment Paphos 2 procured in 1989 with armaments. 1 lost in accident in 2005.
Britten-Norman Defender
Britten norman defender g-gmpb at manchester arp.jpg
United Kingdom
Utility aircraft BN.2B-21 Maritime Defender 1 450 Sqd 2nd detachment Paphos Procured in 1984 with 12.7mm cannon pods, radar and target towing capability.
IAI Searcher 2
IAI-Searcher2.jpg
Israel
UAV IAI Searcher 2 2 Groups UAV Sqd Classified Since 2002. Reported to include 2 systems, each with a group of UAVs. [1]

Current Air-Defence Inventory

System Photo Origin Type Versions In service Notes
9M330 Tor
Amd sa15.jpg
Russia
Surface-to-air missile TOR-M1 12 First batch of 6 via Greece delivered by 2000. Second batch from Russia due 2011.
Aspide-330
Aspide launch.jpg
Italy
Surface-to-air missile Aspide-330 24 High velocity semi-active radar homing "O" ("Othello") variant with range 18km, used with four-cell TELARs in conjunction with Contraves Skyguard system. First batch of 12 in 1980s, second batch of 12 in 2006. Circa 200 missiles.
Matra Mistral
Mistral-2.jpg
France
Surface-to-air missile Mistral Tranche 2 30 Supplied as "Alamo" version, self-propelled VSHORADS on all-terrain vehicle with separate radar system.
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon
35 mm Oerlikon.jpg
Switzerland
Anti-aircraft gun GDF-005 30 Used in conjunction with Skyguard and Aspide systems.
M55A3
Samovozni protuzrakoplovni top 20-3mm.jpg
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Anti-aircraft gun Triple 20mm 50 Crew-served anti-aircraft auto-cannon

Inventory Formerly Used or Embargoed

System Photo Origin Type Versions In service Notes
S-300 PMU1
MoscowParade2009 7.jpg
Russia
Surface-to-air missile S-300 PMU1 2 Delivered in 1998, and then transferred to Crete (Hellenic Air Force) the same year due to political considerations.

Aerial incidents between Cyprus and Turkey

Paphos Incident - 22nd October 2000

On 22 October 2000, TOR-M1 air-defence batteries operated by the Cyprus National Guard at Papandreou Air Base tracked a pair of Turkish warplanes detected approaching the air base by "locking-on" to them [2] 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 manouveres 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 an provacation that could lead to war.[3]

Paphos Incident - 5th April 2002

It was variously reported in the Cyprus media [2] 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 air base at an altitude of 3500 feet. Upon realising that they were being tracked, the two Turkish aircraft reportedly turned back towards Turkey, and then returned to their airbase.

Sources

References


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