Island Cyprus Can Extra Simply Swap Russian Weapons for American

• Cyprus has been realigning its pursuits away from Russia towards the US.
• It has been changing its Russian arms, and it may now purchase US weapons extra simply.
• It is changed helicopters and air defenses. A safety research professional mentioned armor may very well be subsequent.

A former Russian companion and so-called “unsinkable plane service” strategically positioned within the Mediterranean has drawn a lot nearer to the US in recent times and might now extra simply get its palms on American weapons.

Below a directive signed on the finish of the final US administration, Cyprus is now included within the Overseas Navy Gross sales (FMS) and Extra Protection Articles (EDA) packages. Moreover, the Cypriot Nationwide Guard, the nation’s navy drive, will now be capable of take part in additional coaching initiatives with US troops.

Cyprus’ inclusion in these two packages is important — particularly because the nation is constant its Western reorientation and slowly phasing out its Russian arms.

Come and purchase

The Overseas Navy Gross sales program allows the Division of Protection to buy weapons immediately from US arms producers on behalf of companion international locations, simplifying the method for the customer. And the Extra Protection Articles program permits companion international locations to accumulate extra US protection gear without cost or at considerably discounted costs to modernize their forces.

A 1987 US arms embargo beforehand led the Cypriot authorities to show to Russia for a lot of of its weapons whereas pursuing a detailed relationship with Moscow.

Nevertheless, in recent times, particularly after the Russians invaded Ukraine in 2022, Cyprus has been distancing itself from Moscow and has been steadily changing its Russian weapons.

The US partially lifted the arms embargo in 2020 and two years later absolutely lifted it topic to a yearly analysis.

In 2023, Cyprus changed its Russian Mil Mi-35P assault helicopters with French Airbus ones, and final December, it purchased Israeli Barak 8 surface-to-air missile methods to switch its Russian TOR M-1 and Buk SAMs. Past autos and air defenses, autos may very well be subsequent.

“Because the coverage of divesting itself from Russian gear is continuing, two main purchases symbolize subsequent logical initiatives: fundamental battle tanks and armored preventing autos,” Andrew Novo, a strategic research professor on the Nationwide Protection College, instructed Enterprise Insider.

The Cypriot Nationwide Guard makes use of Russian T-80 fundamental battle tanks and BMP-3 armored preventing autos, so “American M1 tanks and Bradley M2 (or different) armored autos can be logical candidates to switch current shares,” Novo mentioned. Patrol boats as much as Corvette-size models, assault rifles, and communications gear is also a precedence, he added.

Each M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley armored preventing autos are extremely regarded, and the Bradleys have famously confirmed their price within the battlefields of Ukraine, even squaring off towards tanks.

A few of Cyprus’s present weapons might find yourself there, too.

Though it had initially rejected the thought of sending its previous Russian weapons to Ukraine, citing considerations for its personal safety — since a Turkish invasion in 1974, the island’s northern third has been occupied by Turkish forces and de-facto seceded — buying US methods might permit it to take action.

“Such a chance may very well be thought-about offered that this gear is changed with equal or higher gear,” then-Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades had mentioned in 2022.

Wanting forward

It is unclear what course the brand new Trump administration might take issues, however Cyprus’s inclusion in these packages might pave the best way for a full lifting of the weapons embargo, eradicating the yearly analysis, in addition to solidify relations with the US.

Altering the evaluations might imply large modifications. “Generally, adopting a brand new weapons system is a multiyear course of — generally greater than a decade,” Novo mentioned. “The Cypriot authorities can’t order an American weapons system and danger upkeep or procurement based mostly on a year-by-year waiver.”

The 2 international locations are strengthening their navy collaboration in different methods, too. In September, they signed a protection cooperation framework settlement to raised reply to humanitarian crises and safety considerations and improve interoperability between US and Cypriot forces.

Cypriot particular operations models have been often coaching with their US counterparts, and in 2023, a US nuclear-powered submarine docked within the Cypriot port of Limassol for the primary time.

US Marines and plane deployed to Cyprus final 12 months in preparation for a possible evacuation of US residents from Lebanon, and now, the US Air Power is contemplating upgrading Cyprus’s fundamental air base to make use of it for humanitarian operations within the area.

The island sits at a strategic location within the japanese Mediterranean, solely about 100 miles from the Levant, and supplies entry to North Africa and Asia Minor. It has typically been described as an “unsinkable plane service.”

The Cypriot president has expressed his dedication to increase his nation’s protection and safety cooperation with the US.

“It’s to one of the best curiosity of each the US and Cyprus to take care of and develop this relationship, and the US is proving that by investing in protection and safety infrastructure in Cyprus,” Novo mentioned.