‘Top experts’ from UK arrive in Cyprus to coordinate bases’ air defence

A number of “top experts” from the United Kingdom arrived in Cyprus on Friday with the aim of coordinating the air defences of the British bases on the island, British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

“We have got top experts today arriving in this island, on Cyprus, to help coordinate the air defences – not just what the UK is doing, but alongside the United States and other allies that are putting in their ships and their systems now,” he said in a video posted to his social media, filmed at his country’s Akrotiri air force base.

He added that “above all”, his visit to the island “is a chance just to meet the extraordinary British forces personnel on the base today and say a big thank you”.

This “thank you”, he said, had been issued “on behalf of the proud British people, and the British government, and for the islanders of Cyprus, for their role in keeping them safe”.

Additionally, he confirmed the arrival of two AW159 Wildcat helicopters on the island, while also making reference to the “new extra fast jets” being sent to Cyprus – the F-35 jets which were deployed last month – and to the HMS Dragon Type 45 destroyer warship, which is expected to depart from Portsmouth next week.

The “coordination” of which he was speaking was also alluded to by Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, who had said earlier in the day that he and the Cypriot government were “waiting” for the British assets to be “incorporated into the system” of defensive machinery sent towards the island this week.

Both Greece and France swiftly having deployed naval assets, with the Greek Kimon frigate – described by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday as the “pride of the Greek fleet” – now stationed off the island’s coast, and the French aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle on its way.

Other countries, including Spain and Italy, are also expected to send naval assets to Cyprus and its vicinity in the coming days.

Late on Thursday night, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had confirmed that Cyprus had been used as the launchpad for missions aimed at engaging and shooting down drones fired from Iran. 

The country’s defence ministry had announced on Tuesday that British F-35 fighter jets had flown over Jordan, shooting down drones fired from Iran, and that the night’s engagement had marked “the first time a [Royal Air Force] F-35 has shot down a target on operations”.