Defence relations between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus are developing at a rapid pace, as Washington now appears to view Nicosia as a crucial security and defence partner in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Beyond the frequent presence of naval and air assets and personnel on Cypriot soil, the allocation of financial resources and equipment for developing significant infrastructure within National Guard facilities indicates that the American side intends to pursue long-term defence cooperation.
Following the initial lifting of the US arms embargo, which was limited to non-lethal materials, the evolution of Cypriot-American relations and revision of American legislation has led to the National Guard’s procurement of American special operations small arms this year. Specifically, a substantial number of state-of-the-art 5.56mm M5 rifles from Colt Defense have been delivered to the Naval Command’s Underwater Demolition Unit (UDU), which has already begun utilising them by calibrating the advanced sighting systems and conducting day and night firing exercises. The Police Rapid Response Unit also received a number of these weapons. The procurement was arranged through a contract between the Ministry of Defence and Colt Defense, headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and was executed swiftly as the weapons were manufactured this year.
The received weaponry and specialised accessories have notable features, as they possess amphibious characteristics – they can be used immediately after underwater beach exits without malfunctioning. The weapon also allows for ambidextrous use by both right and left-handed operators. Furthermore, the UDU’s procurement of American night vision optics, which are mounted on the combat divers’ helmets, enables full utilisation of the weapons in the infrared spectrum, invisible to the naked eye.
Along with the rifles, a number of M203 grenade launchers were ordered from the same company, which can be mounted on the weapons to fire 40mm grenades. Most significantly, the weapons were delivered with a complete set of accessories, including a Trijicon MRO day sight with red dot capability, an IN-FORCE tactical light with visible and infrared spectrum functionality, a Steiner DBAL-A3 laser pointer that emits targeting beams in both visible and infrared spectrums, and HUXWRF HX-QD suppressors. Notably, these accessories were provided for all acquired weapons, rather than just a portion as was previously the case.
The procurement of American small arms was purely a political decision, as the Ministry of Defence and National Guard General Staff sought to capitalise on the developing security ties between the National Guard and US Armed Forces, who now show particular interest in enhancing operational interoperability between both sides. The procurement of special operations small arms from the US for the UDU’s needs is expected to be just the beginning, with further purchases of new weapon systems that could potentially interest the National Guard (such as FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile launchers) and the acquisition of surplus equipment from American stockpiles.
The rapidly developing security ties between the US and the Republic undoubtedly impact the Cyprus problem’s resolution, as for the second time since the 1974 catastrophe (the first being Cyprus’s EU accession), they strengthen the Republic’s strategic position against Turkish aggression and Turkish demands for a two-state solution. Moreover, Cyprus’s integration into NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme would be a logical progression in the Republic of Cyprus’s journey toward defence emancipation and autonomy.
Read more:
