The Cyprus National Guard is launching a large—scale program to introduce unmanned technologies at all levels of government, from brigades to platoons.
This decision was made against the background of the European Commission’s refusal to allocate funding for the modernization of two key military bases. Despite this, the course towards technological renewal remains a priority element of the defense strategy.
The modernization program is based on closer cooperation with the defense industry of Cyprus, as well as an analysis of the experience of modern armed conflicts, in particular in Ukraine. The lessons learned are actively used in forming a long-term plan for the development of the armed forces.
The issue of the large-scale introduction of drones was discussed at a meeting of the Defense Committee on Thursday, December 11. During the meeting, the list of military equipment submitted by the Ministry of Defense to receive funding under the SAFE program was considered. The Ministry of Defense, together with the General Staff of the National Guard, plans to equip all branches of the armed forces with various types of unmanned aerial vehicles, from aircraft—type UAVs to compact quadrocopters designed to perform a wide range of tasks. This approach was a logical continuation of the recent purchase of Cyprus-made unmanned systems from Swarmly Aero from Limassol, which have already been transferred to artillery units.
In addition to aircraft drones, the Navy command intends to purchase unmanned surface vehicles — remotely operated vessels used for reconnaissance, surveillance, information gathering and support of warships. The main advantage of such platforms is the ability to perform complex and dangerous missions without endangering the lives of personnel.
Due to the outdated fleet of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, which are becoming more difficult and expensive to maintain, Cyprus is considering the possibility of purchasing modern French-made wheeled armored vehicles. It is assumed that the new equipment will be equipped with powerful weapons and will approach the BMP standards in terms of its characteristics. The list of applications includes two options from French defense companies, which corresponds to Cyprus’ long-standing traditions in the field of purchasing armored vehicles from France.
Separately, the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense are conducting advanced negotiations on the acquisition of a second long-range patrol vessel. This project is based on a plan developed ten years ago and aimed at strengthening the country’s naval potential. Financing of this purchase is not provided under the SAFE program. It is expected that the new ship will significantly expand the fleet’s capabilities for long-term patrolling of the exclusive economic zone and will allow for more active participation in international exercises. Initially, it was planned to build four ships of the same Saar 62 class, but today the Navy has only one such ship, the Ioannidis, which cost about 44 million euros.
A serious blow to the military infrastructure was the refusal of the European Commission to finance the modernization of the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos and the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Mari. According to the commission, the submitted projects did not meet the requirements of the SAFE program. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense needs to review the submitted application and supplement it with either a request for new types of weapons or an increase in the number of already declared equipment.
Other significant events in the field of defense include the completion of Cyprus—UK Defense Industry Day, which took place on December 9, 2025 at the Cyprus High Commission in London. The event focused on the prospects for bilateral cooperation, investments and innovations in areas such as cybersecurity, unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, space technologies and communications.
https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/kipr-xochet-kupit-franczii-novyie
