Nicosia, Cyprus – Cyprus has received an Israeli air defense system. The eastern Mediterranean island is seeking to tap new markets to boost its defense capabilities, following the loss of its main supplier, Russia.
The Sigma television channel reported that the first deliveries took place on Tuesday. Cypriot officials declined to comment on the details of this report.
“The only thing I can say is that we will and are doing everything necessary to strengthen Cyprus’ deterrent force, not only because we are a country under occupation, but also because we are a member state of the European Union located in a region of particular geostrategic importance,” Nikos Christodoulides, the Cypriot president, told the press on Thursday.
Cyprus was divided following a Turkish invasion in 1974, with the north under the control of a heavily militarized breakaway Turkish Cypriot state and the south under that of an internationally recognized government.
The Barak MX anti-aircraft system will complement and eventually replace the older, Russian-made Tor M1. Russia has been one of Cyprus’s main suppliers of military equipment for decades, but contracts were shrinking even before the blanket ban on exports following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
As a result of these sanctions, Cyprus’ existing defense systems lack spare parts and cannot be modernized, a senior Cypriot source told Reuters.
“This is why Cyprus is looking towards other European Union countries, as well as Israel. In this context, efforts are underway to improve our anti-aircraft shield,” added the source.
Cypriot officials never openly disclose these programs due to ongoing tensions with Turkey.
In 1998, Cyprus attempted to modernize its anti-aircraft system by acquiring S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Russia, which ended in a military standoff with Turkey and Nicosia was quick to divert the system towards Crete.
At the time, this acquisition received neither British nor American support. However, relations with Washington have improved significantly in recent years, with Cyprus having firmly anchored its policies in the Western camp.
TIMES OF ISRAEL.
