Cyprus Air Command

Air Command of Cyprus
Διοίκηση Αεροπορίας Κύπρου (Greek) Kıbrıs Hava Komutanlığı (Turkish)
Cyprus Air Force emblem
Founded	1964
Country	Cyprus
Branch	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	1,200 personnel 15 helicopters, 3 fixed wing aircraft, 4 unmanned aerial vehicles. On order: 2 helicopters + 4 UAVs
Part of	Cypriot National Guard
Commanders
Current commander	Βrigadier General George Alexandrou
Insignia
Roundel	File:Cyprus-roundel low.svg
Fin flash	File:Flag of Cyprus.svg

The Cyprus Air Command (Greek: Διοίκηση Αεροπορίας Κύπρου, romanized: Dioikisi Aeroporias Kyprou, Turkish: Kıbrıs Hava Komutanlığı), 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.

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”.

Organisation

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

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

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	Photo	Variant	In service	Notes
Fixed wing aircraft
Embraer ERJ-135	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.
AIr Tractor AT-802	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. 3,1 ton water tank capacity.
Helicopters
Airbus H145	France 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. Carrying 12,7mm machine gun and 12 rocket pot. It may also carry Spike ER missiles in the future.
Aérospatiale Gazelle	France	Utility/Anti-tank	File:Aerospatiale SA-342L1 Gazelle..jpg	Gazelle SA 342L	4	Armed with 4 HOT Anti-tank Guided Missiles.
AgustaWestland AW139	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) in coordination with JRCC Larnaca.
Bell 206	United States	Utility/Transport	File:Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III 111.jpg	LongRanger III	2	Three acquired from Belgian source in the 1980s. One lost in crash in 2003.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Aerostar	Israel	Surveillance/Recon	File:Aerostar.jpg		4	+4 on order.
IAI Searcher	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

Retired aircraft include the Mil Mi-35P.

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
Barak MX	Israel	Surface-to-air missile system	File:Salon du Bourget 20090619 077.jpg	Possibly 2 batteries.	In operation as of December 2024. Most likely: 2 batteries consisting of 4 launchers each, 150 km version.
Aspide	Italy	Surface to air missile system	File:Batteria.missili.italia.jpg	24	6 batteries/130 missiles. Utilized with the Skyguard system (Othellos) using Oerlikon GDF 35mm. 12 Skyguard radars.
Mistral	France	Man-portable air defense system	Cypriot SHORAD Cypriot SHORAD	30 (300 missiles)	18 Mistral MANPADS and 12 x2 Mistral ATLAS system mounted on Pinzgauer utility vehicles. More than 300 missiles. More missile on order as of June 2023.
TOR M-1	Soviet Union Russia	Surface to air missile system	File:Tor-M1 SAM (2).jpg	6	Delivered by Greece in replacement for the S-300.~150 missiles.
Buk M1-2	Soviet Union Russia	Surface to air missile system	File:BUK file1.jpg	8	Total number of systems is unknown. Possibly 2 batteries with 4 systems each.
9K32 Strela-2	Soviet Union 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.
9S737M Ranzhir-M	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
Anti aircraft artillery
GDF-005	Switzerland	Anti-aircraft gun	File:Oerlikon GDF-006 35mm Twin Cannon Display at Hsinchu AFB 20151121a.jpg	24	2x35mm anti-aircraft gun. Part of the Skyguard (Othellos) system along Aspide SAMs.
Zastava M-55	Yugoslavia	Anti-aircraft gun	File:M-55A3 3-20mm VS.jpg	50	3x20mm anti-aircraft gun.

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.

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.

Ranks

Main article: Cyprus military ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Cyprus Air Forces					File:Greece-AirForce-OF-8.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-7.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-6.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-5.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-4.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-3.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-2.svg		File:Greece-AirForce-OF-1b.svg			File:Greece-AirForce-OF-1a.svg
					Αντιπτέραρχος Antipterarchos		Υποπτέραρχος Ypopterarchos		Ταξίαρχος Taxiarchos		Σμήναρχος Sminarchos		Αντισμήναρχος Antisminarchos		Επισμηναγός Episminagos		Σμηναγός Sminagos		Υποσμηναγός Yposminagos		Ανθυποσμηναγός Anthyposminagos

Other ranks

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

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Cyprus Air Forces	File:ANTH A.png		File:ANTH B.png		File:Greece-AirForce-OR-9.svg		File:Arxisminias kypros.png	File:Syp arxisminias.png	File:Episminias kypros.png	File:Syp episminias kypros.png	File:Sminias kypros.png		File:Syp sminias kypros.png		File:Syop sminias.png								File:Syop yposminias.png				File:Strtis Anthiposminias kypros.png								Arm/corps insignia only
	Ανθυπασπιστής Α΄ Anthypaspistís A'		Ανθυπασπιστής Β΄ Anthypaspistís B'		Ανθυπασπιστής Γ΄ Anthypaspistís C'		Αρχισμηνίας Archisminías	ΣΥΠ Αρχισμηνίας Syp Archisminías	Επισμηνίας Episminías	ΣΥΠ Επισμηνίας Syp Episminías	Σμηνίας Sminías		ΣΥΠ Σμηνίας Syp Sminías		ΣΥΟΠ Σμηνίας Syop Sminías								ΣΥΟΠ Υποσμηνίας Syop Yposminías				Ανθυποσμηνίας Anthyposminías								Σμηνίτης Sminítis

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

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)