Cyprus, US begin joint military drills in Nicosia amid escalation
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In July, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides stated that Nicosia was in discussions with Washington about obtaining US weapons.
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A US Navy SEAL special forces operator, front, and colleagues during a joint US-Cyprus military drill at Limassol port on September 10, 2021 (AP)
Cyprus and the US launched cooperative military training on Tuesday, including air defense exercises, according to the Cypriot Defense Ministry.
According to the statement, "Within the framework of military cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and the US, training activities will take place in the morning and afternoon from August 6-9 in the Nicosia flight information region. The activities will include aerial defense operations with low-flying aircraft."
The exercise will involve aviation and ground forces from the Cypriot National Guard.
The United States and Cyprus are expanding their bilateral collaboration in a variety of fields, including military matters. In June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos announced that the two nations will begin a strategic discussion this autumn.
In July, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides stated that Nicosia was in discussions with Washington about obtaining US weapons.
The US' secret military deployment on British Cyprus: Declassified UK
Last year, an exclusive report by Declassified UK disclosed that the US military has plans to deploy at least 129 airmen to British territory on Cyprus by next year.
Occupying 3% of Cyprus' landmass, the number of US troops on the UK's so-called Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) [parts of the island that remained under British occupation] has long been classified. That said, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) recently revealed to Parliament that the number of US personnel participating in current or future operational activities will not be revealed.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense claims that it has only 14 personnel deployed in Cyprus, including nine marines and just one airman, as per Declassified. However, the news source obtained a US Air Force (USAF) document containing information about a development project at RAF Akrotiri, the UK's air base on Cypus from where it flies bombing missions across the Middle East.
The document, which dates back to March 2019, mentions the existence of 87 US airmen deployed to RAF Akrotiri in 2018, including 12 officers. However, the US planned to increase the number of personnel by 48% over the next six years. The US plan was to have 129 airmen deployed to the base by 2024, including 15 officers.
Recently, Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Lympiotis confirmed that his country "is not involved" and "will not participate" in any wars, emphasizing that the Republic of Cyprus has excellent relations with Lebanon.
The government spokesperson shared a statement on social media from Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, emphasizing that “no country will be granted permission to conduct military operations through Cyprus.” He indicated that all negotiations with Lebanon will occur at a diplomatic level.
This announcement comes after Sayyed Nasrallah warned the Cypriot government about allowing its airports and bases to be used by the Israeli occupation. "The Cypriot government should be warned that opening its airports and bases to the enemy to target Lebanon means it has become part of the war."
