France will send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus, as well as a frigate, after one was attacked on Monday with drones, the Cypriot Government reported on Tuesday.
The Government spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, confirmed in a press conference the French military contribution, which four fighters and two frigates to defend the Mediterranean islandpartner of the European Union (EU).
Letymbiotis added that the Government of Cyprus also conveyed a similar request for support to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a telephone conversation on Monday.
The spokesperson indicated that the German response was positivealthough the process to formalize the aid has not yet been completed.
Monday’s attack targeted UK sovereign areas in Cyprus, including the British Air Force facility at Akrotiri, and the Cyprus government blamed the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, for responsibility.
Although the attack caused no casualties, the incident raised the security alert and highlighted Cyprus’ increasing exposure to regional tensions in the context of the conflict unleashed by the US and Israel with Iransince it is located less than 250 kilometers from Lebanon.
Two separate drone incidents were reported on Monday, first an Iranian-designed Shahed aircraft crashed on the runway at the Akrotiri base causing limited damage and later two other unmanned craft were intercepted.
Apparently, the anti-aircraft defenses did not detect the devices because they were flying at a very low altitude. Athens already sent four F-16 fighters to Cyprus on Monday, while two frigates sail towards the island, one of them equipped with a Centauro anti-drone system that is capable of identifying and neutralizing targets at low altitude.
The British bases in Cyprus, established after the island’s independence in 1960, are a key point for operations in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean, which has increased their strategic relevance in the current conflict.
