| Naval Command of Cyprus Ναυτική Διοίκηση Κύπρου |
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Cyprus Naval Command Emblem |
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| Active | July 1964 |
| Country | Cyprus |
| Branch | Navy |
| Size | about 400 personnel (2008) |
| Part of | Cypriot National Guard |
| Engagements | Battle of Tylliria (Cyprus 1964), Turkish invasion of Cyprus |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Captain George Pitsiakos |
| Notable commanders |
Lieutenant Elefterios Tsomakis |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign | |
| Naval Jack | |
The Cyprus Naval Command (Greek Ναυτική Διοίκηση Κύπρου) (also known as the Cyprus Navy or Cypriot Navy) is the armed sea wing of the Cyprus National Guard. This force does not possess any capital ships, but is equipped with patrol boats,[1] landing craft, surface-to-surface missile systems and integrated radar systems, as well as SEALs-type naval underwater demolitions units. The Cyprus Navy has the primary mission of defending the sea borders of the Republic of Cyprus, but is currently unable to access waters around the island which are controlled by the Turkish Navy since the 1974 conflict.
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On 6 August 1964, Cyprus National Guard forces commenced combat action against the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Kokkina, in the north-west of Cyprus. This operation was regarded by both Cyprus and Greece as a necessary interdiction against a threat by Turkish Cypriot militia, who were using Kokkina as a beachhead by which to land supplies and weapons shipped from Turkey. The Cyprus National Guard forces were under the command of General George Grivas, with the blessing of Athens. A combined land and sea attack was launched against Kokkina using two Cyprus Navy R-151 Group patrol boats, the Phaethon (commander - Second Leuthenant Dimitrios Mytsatsos) and the Arion, manned by Greek navy personnel.[2] Firing 40mm and 20mm shells, the two patrol boats bombarded the enclave for a period of time, in conjunction with land-based 25-pounder artillery.[3]
The battle was well underway on the 8th of August, when the Turkish Air Force commenced its own attack with fighter aircraft, making numerous strafing passes of Greek Cypriot positions. The vessel Phaethon was struck by rocket fire and burst into flames, forcing the crew to deliberately run it aground near Xeros Harbour. Seven of the crewmembers on Phaethon were killed and several wounded in the attack, and the ship was unsalvagable and later stricken.[3][4]
The second R-151 Group patrol boat, Arion, was attacked by the same Turkish fighter jet formations, and was reportedly struck several times by strafing fire, but escaped to Paphos. During the attack on the Arion, a Turkish F-100 Super Sabre, piloted by Captain Cengiz Topel, was struck by 40mm anti-aircraft fire and shot down. The pilot ejected over land but was promptly captured and lynched by members of the Cyprus National Guard.
MTB's flotilla:
| Country of Origin | Vessel Type | Class | Name | Pennant | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Motor Minesweeper
(R boat) |
R-151 | Arion (Leventis after 1965) | P1 (1964)
15 (1972) |
Sunk 14 August 1974 by own crew at Naval Base "Chrysulis" | |
| Group Motor Minesweeper
(R boat) |
R-151 | Phaethon [5] | P2 (1964) | Sunk 08 August 1964 near Xeros
in a battle with Turkish airplanes. |
|
| Group Motor Minesweeper
(R boat) |
R-218 | Dedalos [6] | Unknown | Removed from Navy lists in 1970-71 | |
| Motor Torpedo Boat | P-4 Skinhead
(Type 123K) |
T-1 (Adopted Oct 1964) | 20 (1965) | Sunk 20 July 1974 North-East of Kyrenia
in a battle with Turkish invasion forces. |
|
| Motor Torpedo Boat | P-4 Skinhead
(Type 123K) |
T-2 (Adopted Oct 1964) | 21 (1965) | Run aground 21 July 1974 North of Naval Base "Chrysulis".
Later captured by Turkish forces.[7] |
|
| Motor Torpedo Boat | P-4 Skinhead
(Type 123K) |
T-3 (Adopted Oct 1964) | 22 (1965) | Sunk 20 July 1974 North-East of Kyrenia
in a battle with Turkish invasion forces. |
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| Motor Torpedo Boat | P-4 Skinhead
(Type 123K) |
T-4 (Adopted Oct 1964) | 23 (1965) | Sunk 14 August 1974 by own crew at Naval Base "Chrysulis" | |
| Motor Torpedo Boat | P-4 Skinhead
(Type 123K) |
T-5 (Adopted Feb 1965) | 24 (1965) | In 1973-74 removed from active service and disarmed.
Destroyed 14 August 1974 at Naval Base "Chrysulis" [7] |
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| Motor Torpedo Boat | P-4 Skinhead
(Type 123K) |
T-6 (Adopted Feb 1965) | 25 (1965) | Sunk 14 August 1974 by own crew at Naval Base "Chrysulis" | |
| Fast Patrol Craft (PCF) | Esterel
(Kelefstis Stamou) |
Kelefstis Stamou
(Embargoed, purchased by Hellenic Navy) |
P28 (1975)
P287 (since 1980) |
Still active | |
| Fast Patrol Craft (PCF) | Esterel
(Kelefstis Stamou) |
Diopos Antoniou
(Embargoed, purchased by Hellenic Navy) |
P29 (1975)
P286 (since 1980) |
Still active | |
| Motor Torpedo Boat | Type 108 | Unknown (Replaced T-5 by 1974 ) [7][8] | Unknown | Probably sunk 14 August 1974 by own crew
at Naval Base "Chrysulis" |
|
| Motor Torpedo Boat | Type 108 | Unknown (Unconfirmed status) [8] | Unknown | Unknown | |
| Motor Torpedo Boat | Type 108 | Unknown (Unconfirmed status) [8] | Unknown | Unknown |
Main armament
On the 15th of July 1974, EOKA-B and elements of the Cyprus National Guard overthrew the legitimate President, Archbishop Makarios and replaced him with Nikos Sampson. Makarios escaped an initial attempt to capture him at the Archbishiporic in Nicosia, and fled to Paphos. A naval patrol vessel, Leventis (pennant number 15) was quickly dispatched to Paphos to begin shelling a radio station there which was being operated by pro-Makarios elements.[9]
On the 20th of July 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus in a surprise-attack, without issuing a declaration of war. A naval force of Turkish vessels was detected by coastal radar at Apostolos Andreas approaching the coast, and a second force of naval vessels was sighted off the coast of Kyrenia during the early hours. The Cyprus National Guard Naval Command quickly ordered its two motor torpedo boats, T-1 (commander - Lieutenant Junior Grade Nicolaos Verikios) and T-3 (commander - Lieutenant Elefterios Tsomakis), (based at Kyrenia) to attack the Turkish flotilla directly. Both vessels were promptly sunk by combined air and sea attack.[9] The rest of the Cyprus Navy vessels were sunk by their own crews at Naval base "Chrysulis" in Boghazi (14.08.1974). After the conflict, two boats were refloated by Turkish troops and transferred to Golcuk Naval Museum, Turkey (on display with pennant numbers 11 and 12).[10]
In 1983, the Navy acquired a single Type 32L Esterel fast patrol craft from France.[11] The vessel has been upgraded, and has heavy armament, including two 2-round Mistral-SIMBAD air-defence missile launchers, 1 40mm .70cal OTO-Breda-Bofors AA cannon and 1 20mm .90cal Rhinemettall AA cannon.[12] Later (circa 2006-2008) 40mm .70cal OTO-Breda-Bofors AA cannon was replaced by 20mm .70cal Oerlikon Mk10 AA cannon.
In 1994, Cyprus acquired 24 Aerospatiale MM40 Exocet Block-II anti-ship missiles (reportedly initially intended for Iran) from France, along with 3 coastal defence batteries.[12]
In 2000, the Cyprus Navy received the ex-Hellenic Navy patrol boat "Knossos", which was renamed "Kyrenia", designated P02 and formed the Kyrenia class.[13] This vessel was Greek made, of the Dilos-class, previously designated P269. This vessel is armed with one single 20mm .70cal Oerlikon Mk10 AA cannon and one 2-round Mistral-SIMBAD air-defence missile launcher.[12]
In 2002, the Cyprus Navy acquired two Rodman 55 fast assault boats for the purpose of serving her Special Forces units. These fast craft are named Agathos" and Panagos'".[12][14]
During 2004-2006, Cyprus took delivery of four P-190 type fast patrol craft from manufacturer Cantierre Navale Vittoria of Italy, of which two were intended for the Navy, and two intended for the Marine Police. These vessels were fitted with single 25mm .80cal KBA OTO-Melara automatic cannons and two single 12.7mm machine guns, equipped with radars and Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIRs). The Navy pair were issued the pennant numbers P03 and P04.
On 11 July 2011, the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion resulted in the destruction of much of the infrastructure of the nation's main naval port and loss of the Commander of Cyprus navy Captain Andreas Ioannides. Reconstruction began immediately on the strength of domestic contracts for buildings and structures. An Israeli consortium has since proposed, via Israel's Government, to completely refurbish and modernise the base for all types of military capability, in a deal that it is also reported to include favourable financing and licensing.
In addition, Israel has offered to supply the Cyprus Navy with two modern warships, capable of far greater operational range and much greater weapons capability than that already offered by existing Cypriot patrol boats. According to reports, the ships are offered for immediate production with a 3200 nautical miles range and 32 knot top speed, a helicopter flight deck capability and three automatic gun armaments with a high rate of fire, as well as missile armaments for surface-air and surface-surface roles [15].
| Country of Origin | Vessel Type | Class | Name | Pennant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) | Type 32L Esterel | Salamis | P01 | |
| Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) | Dilos | Kyrenia | P02 | |
| Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) | Corrubia | Lieutenant Commander Elefteriou Tsomaki | P03 | |
| Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) | Corrubia | Lieutenant Commander Nicola Georgiou | P04 | |
| Motor Launch (ML) | Rodman 55 | Agathos | N/A | |
| Motor Launch (ML) | Rodman 55 | Panagos | N/A | |
| ? | Landing Craft (LCP) | Rotork | Unknown | N/A |
| ? | Landing Craft (LCP) | Rotork | Unknown | N/A |
| ? | Landing Craft (LCP) | Rotork | Unknown | N/A |
Main naval base - Evangelos Florakis, Zygi
Naval stations - Limassol, Pafos
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