| 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 |  |
| Fin flash |  |
TheCyprus Air Command (Greek:Διοίκηση Αεροπορίας Κύπρου,romanized: Dioikisi Aeroporias Kyprou,Turkish:Kıbrıs Hava Komutanlığı), also known as theCyprus Air Force orCypriot Air Force, is the armed air wing of theNational Guard. This force is equipped withattack andanti-tankhelicopters,surface-to-air missile systems and integratedradar systems.
The history of Cypriot aviation began on 16 August 1960, after it won its independence from theUnited Kingdom, when an Air Wing was established on the island which. It was equipped with a small number oflight aircraft and mainly performed search and rescue tasks (SAR), transport of the sick, control of fires andmarine pollution as well as defense and police forces on the Cypriot coast and territory.
Until 1987, theaircraft of the Cypriot aviation still operated with civilianbrands, as the usual military nature of the youngair force had not yet developed. In the same year, 3 light helicoptersBell 206, 4utility helicoptersAérospatiale Gazelle and 2 intermediate trainersPilatus 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 classiccockade that perfectly follows that ofGreece, the nation with which it exists a strong bond, not only military.[1]
In July 2022, the Cypriot government announced that sixEurocopter 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 ageingMil Mi-24 helicopters in service which are hard and costly to maintain.Turkish Cypriot authorities have called the helicopter purchase as a “provocation”.[2]
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.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Photo | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed wingaircraft | ||||||
| Embraer ERJ-135 |  Brazil | VIP Transport | .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.[5] |
| AIr Tractor AT-802 |  United States | Fire-fighting | .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.[6][7] | |
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Airbus H145 |  France Germany | Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter |  | H145M | 4 | Another 2 on order with an option to buy an additional 6. First 4 delivered in 2025. Equipped with theHForce weapons system. Carrying 12,7mm machine gun and 12 rocket pot. It may also carrySpike ER missiles in the future.[8][9][10][11] |
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | Utility/Anti-tank |  | Gazelle SA 342L | 4 | Armed with 4HOTAnti-tank Guided Missiles.[12][13][14] |
| AgustaWestland AW139 |  Italy | SAR/Utility | .jpg) | AW139 | 5 | Used primarily forSearch and Rescue (SAR) in coordination withJRCC Larnaca.[15][12][13] |
| Bell 206 | United States | Utility/Transport |  | LongRanger III | 2 | Three acquired from Belgian source in the 1980s. One lost in crash in 2003.[15][12] |
| Unmanned aerial vehicles | ||||||
| Aerostar |  Israel | Surveillance/Recon |  | 4 | +4 on order.[12][16] | |
| IAI Searcher | Israel | Surveillance/Recon | _passes_through_the_Rajpath_during_the_58th_Republic_Day_Parade_-_2007%2c_in_New_Delhi_on_January_26%2c_2007.jpg) | 2 | [17] | |
Retired aircraft include theMil Mi-35P.[18]
.jpg)
| Name | Origin | Type | Photo | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface-to-air missiles | |||||
| Barak MX | Israel | Surface-to-air missile system |  | Possibly 2 batteries.[19] | In operation as of December 2024.[20][21][22][23] Most likely: 2 batteries consisting of 4 launchers each, 150 km version. |
| Aspide | Italy | Surface to air missile system |  | 24 | 6 batteries/130 missiles. Utilized with the Skyguard system (Othellos) using Oerlikon GDF 35mm. 12Skyguard radars.[24][15] |
| Mistral | France | Man-portable air defense system |  | 30 (300 missiles) | 18 MistralMANPADS and 12 x2 Mistral ATLAS system mounted onPinzgauer utility vehicles. More than 300 missiles. More missile on order as of June 2023.[25][15][24][26] |
| TOR M-1 |  Soviet Union Russia | Surface to air missile system | .jpg) | 6 | Delivered by Greece inreplacement for the S-300.[24][12]~150 missiles. |
| Buk M1-2 | Soviet UnionRussia | Surface to air missile system |  | 8 | Total number of systems is unknown. Possibly 2 batteries with 4 systems each.[12][27][28] |
| 9K32 Strela-2 | Soviet UnionRussia | Man-portable air defense system | _Manpads_Strela-3_9k34_(2107_D1999480).jpg) | 100 | Operational numbers may be less.[29] |
| 9S737M Ranzhir-M | Russia | Mobile command center | _(521-41).jpg) | Unknown | Mobile Command Centre for the coordination of the TOR air defense network system[30] |
| Anti aircraft artillery | |||||
| GDF-005 |  Switzerland | Anti-aircraft gun |  | 24 | 2x35mm anti-aircraft gun. Part of the Skyguard (Othellos) system alongAspide SAMs.[15][24] |
| Zastava M-55 |  Yugoslavia | Anti-aircraft gun |  | 50 | 3x20mm anti-aircraft gun.[15] |
In 1998 twoS-300 PMU1 systems were delivered, but then transferred toHellenic Air Force that same year due to political considerations regarding theCyprus Missile Crisis.
On 22 October 2000,Tor-M1 air-defense batteries operated by theCyprus 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, asGreek Cypriot andGreek forces conducted joint military maneuvers in thePaphos region. The incident prompted an angry outburst from theTurkish 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.[31]
It was variously reported in theCyprus media that combatradars of theCyprus National Guard, based at Papandreou Air Base inPaphos, had tracked two TurkishF-16 warplanes at 11am on 5 April 2002, by "locking-on" to them. The twoTurkish aircraft were reported to have incurred into theNicosiaFlight Information Region and then passed directly over theGreek 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.
On 18 August 2022,Cypriot andGreek radars spotted aTurkish NavyATR 72 whilst flying over Block 6 of theexclusive economic zone of Cyprus. According to media sources, the plane did a low pass at 4,500feet, however a Cypriot official claimed that the plane did no such thing and remained at 29,000.[32]
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus Air Forces[33] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| Αντιπτέραρχος Antipterarchos | Υποπτέραρχος Ypopterarchos | Ταξίαρχος Taxiarchos | Σμήναρχος Sminarchos | Αντισμήναρχος Antisminarchos | Επισμηναγός Episminagos | Σμηναγός Sminagos | Υποσμηναγός Yposminagos | Ανθυποσμηναγός Anthyposminagos | ||||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus Air Forces[34][35] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||