List of military equipment 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 has in the past, and usually still is, imported from other countries, since the country has only 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.

FN P90 in the hands of Cypriot National Guard during a parade in Larnaca

Equipment

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

Infantry weapons
Model Origin Type Cartridge Photo Notes
Submachine guns
FN P90Submachine gun5.7×28mm
IWI Tavor X95 IsraelSubmachine gun5.56×45mm NATOComing into full service to replace G3[1]
Zastava M70 SerbiaAssault rifle7.62×39mmIn limited use, most likely being phased out[2]
AK-74 RussiaAssault rifle5.45×39mmAk-74M version in use by the national guard.[3]
Heckler & Koch G3 GreeceBattle rifle7.62×51mm NATOTo be replaced by the IWI Tavor X95.[4]
Anti-tank weapons
RPG-7Anti-tank rocket launcher40mmUnknown number[5]
9M133 Kornet RussiaAnti-tank guided missile152mm26 systems.[6]

Armored vehicles
Model Origin Type Number Photo Notes
Main battle tanks
T-80 RussiaMain battle tank82[7]
AMX-30B2 FranceMain battle tank53[8]53 AMX-30G to be scrapped.[9]
Armored personnel carriers
ELVO Leonidas-2 GreeceArmoured personnel carrier19756 acquired in 1986. Another 141 acquired in 1993-1995.[10]
BOV M16 Miloš SerbiaMRAP8Delivered in 2019.[11]
BMP-3 RussiaInfantry fighting vehicle43Deal worth $68 million, and delivered in 1995-1996.[7]
Armored recovery vehicles
BREM-80U RussiaArmoured recovery vehicle84 received in 1997 and another 4 received in 2012.[7]

Artillery
Model Origin Type Number Photo Notes
Rocket artillery
M-77 Oganj Yugoslavia128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher8Status uncertain.[7]
BM-21 Grad Russia122mm self-proeplled multiple rocket launcher4Probably second hand.[7]
M-63 Plamen Yugoslavia128mm towed multiple rocket launcher12Number delivered could be 24.[7]
Self-propelled artillery
Nora B-52 Serbia155mm self-propelled howitzer24First batch received in 2019.[12]
155mm SpGH ZUZANA Slovakia155mm self-propelled howitzer12Ordered in 2001 and delivered in 2007 via Greece.[7]
Mk F3 155mm France155mm self-propelled howitzer12Delivered in 1991.[7]
Towed artillery
TRF1 France155mm towed howitzer12Delivered in 1991.[7]
M-56 Yugoslavia105mm towed howitzer18Delivered in 1986.[7]
Mortars
MO-120 RT France120mm mortar114Delivered in 1990-1991.[7]
M30 Mortar United States106.7 mmLess than 20 in service since 2016.To be fully retired.[13]

Air defense
A Tor-M1 surface to air missile system
Name Origin Type In service Notes
Surface-to-air missiles
9K331 Tor M1 Russia Mobile surface-to-air missile system 1 battalion/6 batteries/.[7] Delivered by Greece in replacement for the S-300.
Aspide Italy Surface-to-air missile system 3 batteries/12 modular firing units[7] 130 live rounds[7]
9K37M1-2 Buk M1-2 Russia Mobile surface-to-air missile system 3 battalions/21 self-propelled firing units[14][15]
Mistral (missile) France MANPADS Unknown number delivered, possibly 30[16]
Anti aircraft artillery
Oerlikon GDF Switzerland Anti-aircraft 30[7] Towed 35mm anti-aircraft gun

Aircraft
A Cypriot AW139 helicopter departs the USS Stout
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Britten-Norman BN-2 United Kingdom Transport/Utility BN-2B-21[17] 1[18]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-35P Russia Attack Mi-24 11[18]
Aérospatiale Gazelle France Utility/Anti-tank 342 4[18] +4 on order[19]
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy SAR/Utility 3[18]
Trainer aircraft
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Aerostar Israel Surveillance/Recon 4 +4 on order[20]

See also

References
  1. http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/09/14/defence-ministry-plans-armament-spending-spree/
  2. "Kipar prodaje Maliju Zastavine kalašnjikove" [Cyprus selling Mali Zastava Kalashnikovs]. Kurir (in Bosnian). February 1, 2013. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016. Kiparsko Ministarstvo odbrane ponudilo je 2.364 automatskih pušaka koje je proizvela kragujevačka "Zastava", afričkim snagama koje pomažu vlastima u Maliju u borbi protiv islamskih ekstremista. ("The Cypriot Ministry of Defence has offered 2,364 automatic rifles produced by the Kragujevac-based "Zastava", to the African forces to help the authorities in Mali to fight Islamic extremists.")
  3. Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (September 2012). "The 100-Series Kalashnikovs: A Primer". Small Arms Review. Vol. 16 no. 3. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  4. https://cyprus-mail.com/2017/09/14/defence-ministry-plans-armament-spending-spree/
  5. Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (27 January 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  6. Reported to be 26 systems on order at a cost of $28 million US dollars. Greek-language newspaper "The Citizen" 13 November 2008
  7. https://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php
  8. https://www.armyrecognition.com/cyprus_army_cypriot_land_forces_equipment_uk/cyprus_cypriot_army_land_grounds_forces_military_equipment_armoured_vehicles_weapons_pictures_images.html
  9. https://cyprus-mail.com/2015/04/24/battle-tanks-to-be-scrapped/
  10. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Greece/ELVO-Leonidas.php
  11. https://iskra.gr/%CF%83%CE%AD%CF%81%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%B1-%CE%B1%CF%85%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BA%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CF%80%CF%85%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%B2%CF%8C%CE%BB%CE%B1-nora-b-52-%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81/
  12. .
  13. The Military Balance 2016, p. 85.
  14. "The Cypriot Missile Crisis". geimint.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  15. "Cyprus unveiling new "secret" Air Defense Systems during the national military parade". Defencegreece (in Greek). 8 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  16. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/26314/MBDA_Sells_Mistral__Exocet_Missiles_to_Cyprus__French_Media#.YBcWF-hKjIU
  17. "Cyprus Air Command". Aeroflight. 9 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018.
  18. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  19. Andreou, Evie. "Helicopters to be bought for National Guard". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  20. "Εξοπλίζεται με drones τελευταίας τεχνολογίας από το Ισραήλ η Εθνική Φρουρά".
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