A planned rotation of ships of the Greek Navy took place on the maritime borders of the Republic of Cyprus.

The destroyer Nikifor Fokas officially took over the baton of protecting the water area, replacing the frigate Ellie, which successfully completed almost a hundred-day watch within the framework of bilateral defense cooperation. This information was officially confirmed by the representative of the Ministry of Defense of Cyprus Christos Pieris, commenting on the situation for local media.

The new guardian of the sea borders is equipped with the advanced Centauros anti-aircraft system, developed by Greek engineers to combat unmanned aerial vehicles. This system has already proven itself during previous missions of the ships “Kimon” and “Psara”, which also served in this region. It is noteworthy that the crew of the Ellie spent more than three months in the waters of the island, providing continuous monitoring and security before handing over authority to the incoming successor.

The decision to increase the military presence off the coast of Cyprus was made by the Greek leadership in March of this year. The reason was an incident with an unmanned attack on the British military base of Akrotiri, which required increased air defense measures in the region. The Greek frigate Nikephoros Phokas, named after the famous Byzantine emperor and commander Nikephoros Phokas, has a rich history: it was laid down for the Royal Netherlands Navy, and joined the Hellenic Fleet in 2003, receiving the tail number F-466.

Senior officials from both countries stress the temporary but strategically important nature of this mission. Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has repeatedly stated that military assets will remain in position for as long as the operational situation requires. At the same time, his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas clarified that the duration of the frigates’ stay is reviewed on a regular basis, taking into account the dynamics of regional threats, which allows Athens and Nicosia to act flexibly and adequately respond to any security challenges in the eastern Mediterranean.

A source: cyprus-mail.com

https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/grecheskiy-fregat-nikifor-fokas-zastupil