Wikipedia

List of equipment of the Cypriot National Guard

The Cypriot National Guard is a combined arms force and represents the organised air, land and sea capabilities of the Republic of Cyprus. Equipment is mostly imported from other countries, since the country has 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. As of 2023, the Republic of Cyprus will no longer be under US Defence sanctions opening the National Guard to the sale of US defence products.[1]

Emblem of the National Guard of Cyprus.

Infantry Equipment

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

Camouflages

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Model Origin Type Photo Details
Camoflages
Multicam   United States Camouflage pattern
 
Woodland Digital   United States Camouflage pattern
 
 Used by LOK (Retired in 2017)
UCP   United States Camouflage pattern
 
 (Retired at an unknown date)
Cypriot Sandstone   Cyprus Camouflage pattern
 
Greek Lizard   Greece Camouflage pattern
 
 Used by ELDYK

Infantry weapons

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Model Origin Cartridge Photo Notes
Handguns
HK USP   Germany 9x19mm Parabellum
 
 Standard Issue Sidearm.[2] [2]
FN Five-Seven   Belgium FN 5.7×28mm
 
 250 used by Special Forces.[2]
Submachine guns
FN P90   Belgium FN 5.7×28mm
 
 350 used by the Special Forces.[2]
Assault rifles
HK G3   West Germany
  Greece 		7.62×51mm NATO
 
 Standard Issue Rifle. The versions operated by the National Guard are mainly the G3A3 and G3A4 (shown in the picture, the upper one is the G3A4 and the lower one is the G3A3).[3][4]
AK-74M   Russia 5.45×39mm
 
 AK-74M version in use by the National Guard.[5]
Vz.58   Czechoslovakia 7.62×39mm
 
 Used for a brief period of time by the Special Forces in 2016.[6][7]
Colt M16A2   United States 5.56×45mm NATO
 
 Used by OYK.[2]
FN SCAR-L   Belgium 5.56×45mm NATO
 
 Used by the Special Forces.[8][9]
FN SCAR-H (TPR Variant) 7.62×51mm NATO
 
IWI Tavor X95   Israel 5.56×45mm NATO
 
 Used by the Special Forces.[10]
Sniper rifles
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare   United Kingdom .338 Lapua Magnum
 
 Used by the Special Forces [11][12]
Accuracy International AX50   United Kingdom .50 BMG
 
 Used by the Special Forces [11][12]
Machine guns
MG 3   West Germany
  Greece		 7.62×51mm NATO
 
 [2][4]
HK21   Germany 7.62×51mm NATO
 
 A variation of the HK G3 with a heavier barrel.[2][4]
FN MAG   Belgium 7.62×51mm NATO
 
 [2]
IWI Negev   Israel 5.56×45mm NATO
 
 Used by mechanised infantry, paratroopers and the Special Forces.[13][9]
7.62×51mm NATO
M2 Browning   United States .50 BMG
 
 [14]
Grenade launchers
STK 40 AGL   Singapore 40 mm grenade
 
 [2][15][16]
Anti-tank weapons
M72 LAW   United States Rocket-propelled grenade 66mm
 
 [17]
RPG-7V   Russia Rocket-propelled grenade 85mm
 
 1,000+ launchers.[18]
M40A1   United States Recoilless rifle 105mm
 
 144 M40A1s as of 2016.[19][17]
RAC 112 APILAS   France Recoilless anti-tank weapon 112mm
 
 1,000+ launchers.[17]
9M117 Bastion   Russia Anti-tank guided missile 100mm
 
 Line-of-sight, beam-riding missile (LOSBR) fired from the BMP-3 IFV, 700 missiles delivered in 1996.[20]
9M117 Refleks   Russia Anti-tank guided missile 125mm
 
 Fired from the 125mm main gun of the T80U and T80UK main battle tanks of the National Guard.[21]
MILAN III   France Anti-tank guided missile 115mm
 
 45 launchers, 1,000+ missiles.[22][23]
SPIKE LR2   Israel
  Germany 		Anti-tank guided missile 130mm
 
 To be fitted on LAPV Enok[24]

Land Forces

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Armored vehicles

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Model Origin Photo Variant Quantity Notes
Main battle tanks (MBTs)
T-80   Russia
 
Cypriot T80U
 T-80U 54 A total of 82 MBTs acquired between 1996 and 2011.[25]
T-80UK 28
AMX-30   France
 
 AMX-30B2 52 Another 61 AMX-30s have been withdrawn from active service and are waiting to be scrapped; some will be kept for museums. May be replaced by Israeli Merkava.[17][26][27][28]
Infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs)
BMP-3   Russia
 
 BMP-3 (Basic Version) 43 Deal worth $68 million, and delivered in 1995–1996.[23]
Armored reconnaissance vehicles
EE-9 Cascavel   Brazil
 
 
 Cascavel Mk IV/V 126 Entered service from 1984 to 1988. It has a top speed of 80 km/h off-road and 110 km/h on-road. It is armed with a 90 mm Belgian Cockerill Mk 3 gun, improved day and night optics with laser rangefinder, and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft MG.[23]
EE-3 Jararaca   Brazil
 
 EE-3 Tank destroyer 36 Entered service from 1984 to 1985, 24 are armed with a MILAN ATGM system. The vehicle has a 3-man crew with a top speed of 100 km/h and is armed with 1 x 20-mm Rh202 autocannon, and 1 x 12.7mm machine gun.[23]
Armoured personnel carriers (APCs)
ELVO Leonidas   Greece
 
Greek Leonidas-2 APC
 Leonidas-2 197 Based on the Austrian Saurer 4K 4FA.[23]
VAB   France
 
 VAB-PC 4 A total of 147 vehicles are operated by the National Guard. The VAB VCAC variant is equipped with the Euromissile Mephisto anti-tank missile system. (See infantry weapons above.)[23][29]
VAB-VTT 98
VAB VCI 17
VAB VCAC 18
EE-11 Urutu   Brazil
 
 Unknown 10 Status uncertain.[23]
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs)
BOV M16 Miloš   Serbia
 
 Artillery reconnaissance – command vehicle 8 Part of a $50 mil. deal that included Nora B-52. Delivered in 2019. The 8 BOV M16 are used as artillery reconnaissance and battery command vehicles for the 24 Nora B-52 self-propelled howitzers of the National Guard.[30][31]
Armored recovery vehicles (ARVs)
BREM-80   Russia
 
 BREM-80U 8 Based on the T-80 chassis.[32]
AMX-30   France
 
 AMX-30D 2 [23]
Anti-Tank Guided Missile Vehicle
Euromissile Mephisto   France
 
 18 18 systems. Mounted on the 18 VAB VCAC APCs of the National Guard with four ready-to-fire HOT-2 anti-tank missiles and eight more in reserve, 500 missiles.[17][23]
LAPV Enok   Germany
 
 ENOK 4.8 AB 1 + 59 on order Armed with Spike LR2 missile.[33]
Land Rover Wolf W/ MILAN   France /   United Kingdom
 
 ? Multiple systems of MILAN mounted on Land Rover Defender Wolfs. Significant Numbers, exact numbers unknown. 115 mm, Tandem shaped charge with 2 km max range.

Artillery

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Model Origin Type Photo Number Notes
Rocket artillery
M-63 Plamen   Yugoslavia 128mm towed multiple rocket launcher
 
 24 [23][17]
M-77 Oganj   Yugoslavia 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
 
 8 Status uncertain.[23]
BM-21 Grad   Russia 122mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
 
 4 Probably second hand.[23]
Self-propelled artillery
Nora B-52   Serbia 155mm self-propelled howitzer
 
 24 First batch received in 2019.[34]
Zuzana   Slovakia 155mm self-propelled howitzer
 
 12 Ordered in 2001 and delivered in 2007 via Greece.[23]
Mk F3 155mm   France 155mm self-propelled howitzer
 
 12 Delivered in 1991.[23]
M107   United States 175mm self-propelled howitzer
 
 12 [35][17]
M110A2   United States 203mm self-propelled howitzer
 
 8 [35][17]
Tatrapan   Slovakia Artillery command vehicle
 
 3 [35][17]
AMX-VCI   France Artillery command vehicle   Unknown
Towed artillery
M-56   Yugoslavia 105mm towed howitzer
 
 72 Delivered in 1986.[35][23]
M1944 BS-3   Soviet Union 100mm towed gun
 
 20 Most if not all have been transferred to Ukraine.
M-114   United States 155mm towed howitzer
 
 12 [35][17]
TRF1   France 155 mm towed howitzer
 
French 155 mm TRF1 Towed Artillery
 12 Delivered in 1991.[35][23]
Mortars
E44-E Mortar   Greece 81 mm mortar
 
 180 [17]
M29 Mortar   United States 81 mm mortar
 
 Unknown In use as of 2000.[36]
M30 Mortar   United States 106.7 mm mortar
 
 26 To be fully retired.[37]
MO-120-RT   France 120 mm mortar
 
120 mm Mortar
 116 Delivered in 1990-1991. 12 equipped on mortar carriers.[23][17]

Airforce

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Main article: Cyprus Air Command

Air defense

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Name Origin Type Photo In service Notes
Surface-to-air missiles
TOR M-1   Soviet Union
  Russia 		Surface to air missile system
 
 6 Delivered by Greece in replacement for the S-300.[23][38]
Buk M1-2   Soviet Union
  Russia 		Surface to air missile system
 
 8 Total number of systems is unknown. Could be 2 batteries with 4 systems each.[38][39][40][41]
Aspide   United States
  Italy 		Surface to air missile system
 
 24 With 12 Skyguard radars.[23][17]
Mistral   France Man-portable air defense system
 
Cypriot SHORAD
 30 18 Mistral MANPADS and 12x2 Mistral Atlas vehicle based systems. More than 300 missiles. More missile on order as of June 2023.[42][17][23][35]
9K32 Strela-2   Soviet Union
  Russia 		Man-portable air defense system
 
 100 Operational Numbers may be less[43]
9S737M Ranzhir-M   Russia Mobile command center
 
 Unknown Mobile Command Centre for the coordination of the TOR air defense network system [44]
Anti aircraft artillery
GDF-005    Switzerland Anti-aircraft gun
 
 24 2x35mm anti-aircraft gun.[17][23]
Zastava M-55   Yugoslavia Anti-aircraft gun
 
 50 3x20mm anti-aircraft gun.[17]

Aircraft

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Main article: Cyprus Air Command § Aircraft
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Main article: Cyprus Navy

Surface defense

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Name Origin Type Photo In service Notes
Surface-to-surface missiles
Exocet   France Mobile surface-to-surface missile
 
 3 batteries. Block 3+ modernization part of $250 mil. bought along side Mistral 3

Surface Ships

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Class Origin Vessel Type Photo Name In Service Length Notes
Surface Fleet
Al Mumbrukah   United Kingdom Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)
 
 "Alasia" 1 62m Gift from the Sultan of Oman, refitted for military purposes in 2017.[45][46][47]
Saar 62   Israel Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)   "Andreas Ioannides" 1 62m Part of deal for 2 ships of same class from 2017, one of the newest ships of the NG.[48][47]
Rodman 55   Spain Fast Assault boat   "Agathos" "Panagos" 2 17m Acquired in 2002, Used by Special Forces.[47]
RIB 42' SF   Italy Fast Assault boat   "Nireas 1" "Poseidonas 1 " 2 13m Used by Special Forces actively. [47]
FPB C382   Italy Fast Patrol Boat "Eleftherios Tsomakis" "Nikolas Georgiou" 2 27m [47]
Esterel   France Fast Patrol Boat "Salamis" 1 32m Oldest active ship in the National Guard naval forces - Heavily upgraded.[47]
FPB   Finland Multitask Patrol Boat "Ammochostos" 1 26m Donated from the ministry of agriculture. [47][49]

Future Procurements

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In the last decade the Cypriot National Guard has pushed for a complete modernization of its capabilities and equipment. In light of the recent lifting of the US imposed embargo of the '80s in 2022 Cyprus has started seek interest in multiple western weapon systems. Cyprus also being a part of the European Union means it is part of defensive programs involving other European Nations.[50]

Name Origin Type Photo Number Expected Arrival Notes
Exocet MM40 Block 3   France Mobile surface-to-surface missile
 
 Upgrade Package N/A The Exocet deal of the came along side with the orders of new Mistral III MANPAD systems from France in 2021, the deal cost $260 mil.[51][52]
Mistral III   France SHORAD / MANPADs Unknown N/A The Mistral deal of the came along side with the orders of new Exocet block 3 systems from France.[52]
Iron Dome   Israel Air defense System   Unknown N/A Not much is known on the deal, claims on agreement came to light in 2022[citation needed]
Saar 62   Israel Offshore Patrol Vessel   1 N/A Original deal underlined that 2 Saar 62s would enter service, only one did until now in 2017, order still hasn't been canceled.[53]
Airbus H145   France /   Germany Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter   6 + 6 First batch 2024 (6) Ordered in 2021
Akeron MP   France Fire-and-forget anti-tank Missile   Unknown Unknown Deal expected soon along with Sherpa Light.[54]
MARSEUS   France
  Belgium
  Sweden
  Cyprus 		Beyond Line of sight missile   Unknown Unknown PESCO project between multiple European Nations coordinated by France to develop a new Beyond line of Sight missile system, Testing of the system was conducted in Cyprus in the summer of 2022. The development program includes local Cypriot companies including SignalGeneriX and famous defense companies such as MBDA and THALES.[55][56]
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See also

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References

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  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Cyprus Infantry Arms List (Current and Former Types)". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  3. ^ "403 unauthorized". www.philenews.com. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Ιερείς σε στρατιωτική άσκηση: Έριξαν βολές και προκάλεσαν αντιδράσεις (ΒΙΝΤΕΟ)". www.alphanews.live (in Greek). Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Redefined, Defence (8 August 2021). "TAVOR | Το Βασικό Τυφέκιο των Μονάδων Καταδρομών της Εθνικής Φρουράς - Ανάλυση". DEFENCE ReDEFiNED (in Greek). Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 58". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Cyprus National Guard to get X95s, AI Rifles, SF to receive SCARs". The Firearm Blog. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  9. ^ a b DefenceReview.gr: Οδοιπορικό στην Εθνική Φρουρά - Αφιέρωμα στη Διοίκηση Καταδρομών, retrieved 8 January 2023
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  11. ^ a b "DefenceReview.gr: Οδοιπορικό στην Εθνική Φρουρά - Αφιέρωμα στη Διοίκηση Καταδρομών". Youtube. Defence Review gr. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  12. ^ a b Vlassis, Savvas (11 November 2018). "ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΗ ΓΡΟΘΙΑ 2018 και η πραγματικη αδυναμία των Mi-35P". Δούρειος Ίππος. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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  22. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (2020). "Chapter Four: Europe". The Military Balance. 120 (1): 95. doi:10.1080/04597222.2020.1707964. S2CID 219623996.
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  38. ^ a b "Εθνική Φρουρά - Αεροπορία". www.army.gov.cy. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
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