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 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 P90 BelgiumSubmachine gunFN 5.7×28mm
350 used only by the Special Forces
Combat rifles
AK-74 RussiaAssault rifle5.45×39mm
Ak-74M version in use by the national guard.[1]
FN SCAR BelgiumAssault rifle5.56×45mm NATOSCAR-L used by special forces.[2]
Heckler & Koch G3 Germany
 Greece		 Battle rifle7.62×51mm NATO
To be replaced by the IWI Tavor X95.[3]
IWI Tavor X95  Israel Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO
Used by the Special Forces and Paratroopers.[4]
Machine guns
IWI Negev IsraelMachine gun7.62×51mm NATOUsed by mechanised infantry and paratroopers.[5]
Anti-tank weapons
RPG-7 Soviet Union
 Russia		 Rocket-propelled grenade40mm5000+[6]
9M133 Kornet RussiaAnti-tank guided missile152mm26 systems.[7]
MILAN FranceAnti-tank guided missile115mm95 launchers.[8]
M40 United StatesRecoilless rifle 105mm144 M40A1s as of 2016.[9]

Armored vehicles
Model Origin Type Number Photo Notes
Main battle tanks
AMX-30B2 FranceMain battle tank52
[10]
T-80 RussiaMain Battle Tank82
[11]
Infantry fighting vehicles
BMP-3 RussiaInfantry fighting vehicle43
Deal worth $68 million, and delivered in 1995–1996.[12]
Armored reconnaissance vehicles
EE-9 Cascavel BrazilArmored car126
[12]
EE-3 Jararaca BrazilArmored car36
A few are armed with a MILAN anti-tank guided missile[12]
Armoured personnel carriers
ELVO Leonidas-2 GreeceArmoured personnel carrier197
Based on the Austrian Saurer 4K 4FA[12]
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé FranceArmoured personnel carrier147
  • 4 VAB-PC CP
  • 98 VAB VTT
  • 27 VAB VCI
  • 18 VAB VCAC[13][12]
EE-11 Urutu BrazilArmoured personnel carrier10
Status uncertain.[12]
BOV M16 Miloš SerbiaMRAP8
Part of a $50mil. deal that included Nora B-52. Delivered in 2019.[14]
Armored recovery vehicles
BREM-1 RussiaArmoured recovery vehicle8
4 received in 1997 and another 4 received in 2012.[12]

Artillery
Model Origin Type Number Photo Notes
Rocket artillery
M-63 Plamen Yugoslavia128mm towed multiple rocket launcher12
Number delivered could be 24.[12]
BM-21 Grad Russia122mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher4
Probably second hand.[12]
M-77 Oganj Yugoslavia128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher8
Status uncertain.[12]
Self-propelled artillery
Nora B-52 Serbia155mm self-propelled howitzer24
First batch received in 2019.[15]
155mm SpGH ZUZANA Slovakia155mm self-propelled howitzer12
Ordered in 2001 and delivered in 2007 via Greece.[12]
Mk F3 155mm France155mm self-propelled howitzer12
Delivered in 1991.[12]
Towed artillery
TRF1 France155mm towed howitzer12
Delivered in 1991.[12]
M-56 Yugoslavia105mm towed howitzer18
Delivered in 1986.[12]
Mortars
Mortier 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1 France120mm mortar112
Delivered in 1990–1991.[12]
M30 Mortar United States106.7mmLess than 20 in service since 2016.
To be fully retired.[16]
M29 Mortar United States81mmUnknown amount in service.
In use as of 2000.[17]

Air defense
Name Origin Type Photo In service Notes
Surface-to-air missiles
9K37M1-2 Buk M1-2  Russia Surface-to-air missile system
Unknown Rumours of 2-3 full batteries.[18]<
9K331 Tor M1  Russia Surface-to-air missile system
6 Delivered by Greece in replacement for the S-300.[12]
Aspide  Italy Surface-to-air missile system
12 130 live rounds.[12]
Mistral  France Man-portable air-defense system
Unknown Possibly 30 delivered.[19]
Anti aircraft artillery
Oerlikon GDF   Switzerland Anti-aircraft
30 Towed 35mm anti-aircraft gun [12]

Surface defense
Name Origin Photo Type In service Notes
Surface-to-surface missiles
Exocet  France
Mobile surface-to-surface missile Unknown number. Block III on order. [20][21]

Aircraft
Aircraft Origin Type Photo Variant In service Notes
Transport
Britten-Norman BN-2  United Kingdom Transport / Utility BN-2B-21[22] 1[23]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-35P  Russia Attack helicopter
Mi-24 11[23] Being sold and replaced by 12 new ones
Aérospatiale Gazelle  France Utility/Anti-tank
342 4[23] +4 on order[24]
AgustaWestland AW139  Italy Search and rescue/Utility
3[23]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Aerostar  Israel Surveillance/Recon
4 +4 on order[25]
IAI Searcher  Israel Surveillance/Recon
2 [26]

See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. "Cyprus National Guard to get X95s, AI Rifles, SF to receive SCARs". The Firearm Blog. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  3. "Defence ministry plans armament spending spree | Cyprus Mail".
  4. "Cypriot paratroopers use Israeli weapons". Israel Defense. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  5. Boguslavsky, Eyal. "Cypriot paratroopers use Israeli weapons". Israel Defense.
  6. Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (27 January 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  7. Reported to be 26 systems on order at a cost of US$28 million. Greek-language newspaper "The Citizen" 13 November 2008
  8. International Institute for Strategic Studies (2020). "Chapter Four: Europe". The Military Balance. 120 (1): 95. doi:10.1080/04597222.2020.1707964. S2CID 219623996.
  9. Military Balance 2016, p. 85.
  10. "Battle tanks to be scrapped | Cyprus Mail".
  11. Hazou, Elias. "Defence ministry plans armament spending spree". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  12. "Trade Registers".
  13. "Cypriot Armed Forces - Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG) Land Operations Group - Maritime Wing - Air Wing - European Defence Inforamtion".
  14. 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/
  15. https://www.janes.com/defence-equipment-intelligence/cyprus-parades-new-serbian-made-artillery-and-armoured-vehicles/ .
  16. The Military Balance 2016, p. 85.
  17. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Cyprus". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001–2002. p. 1509.
  18. "The Cypriot Missile Crisis". geimint.blogspot.co.uk. May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  19. "MBDA Sells Mistral, Exocet Missiles to Cyprus: French Media".
  20. "Cyprus Signs €240 MLN French Exocet Missiles Contract". 8 February 2020.
  21. Hazou, Elias. "Cyprus said to be close to selecting new defensive weapons systems". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  22. "Cyprus Air Command". Aeroflight. 9 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018.
  23. "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  24. Andreou, Evie. "Helicopters to be bought for National Guard". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  25. "Εξοπλίζεται με drones τελευταίας τεχνολογίας από το Ισραήλ η Εθνική Φρουρά".
  26. "Current Aircraft Inventory | Cyprus Air Command".
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