|
Population
Defence budget 2010
GDP 2009
Land area
Capital
Life expectancy
Population growth rate |
1,000,000
Euros 450 million (US$550 million)
Euros 19.6 billion (US$24 billion)
9,200 sq kms (3,538 sq miles)
Nicosia (Population 195,000)
78 years
1.3 per cent |
|
|
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| Total Armed
Forces |
|
Army (National Guard)
Maritime Wing
Air Wing |
10,000 (including 9,000 conscripts
and 400 Maritime and Air Wing personnel) Possibly 50,000 ready
reservists available
100 (approximate)
300 (approximate) |
| |
|
Conscripts serve
for around 25 months.
Some 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed in the northern part of
the island (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) and have been
there since the invasion of 1974. In 1983 the United Nations
Security Council Resolution 541 stated that the “attempt to
create the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was legally
invalid”.
Cyprus remains divided into Greek Cypriot and Turkish areas and
the Greek Cypriot part of the island has membership of the
European Union. A United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP)
with about 860 personnel is stationed along the buffer zone
(Green Line) between the two communities.
There is considerable input from the mainland Greek Armed Forces
(about 1,500 personnel) and possibly a slight ‘blurring’ of the
command responsibilities between the Cypriot Government and the
Greek Ministry of Defence in Athens. A Greek officer is
generally the commander of the Cypriot National Guard and a
number of the senior command and staff appointments are held by
Greek military officers.
The UK has 1,600 personnel stationed on the island.
|
| MINISTRY OF
DEFENCE |
|
| Contact Details
|
Ministry of Defence
4 Emm Roidi Street
Nicosia
Cyprus
Tel: +357 2 303189
Fax: +357 2 362605
|
|
GREEK CYPRIOT NATIONAL GUARD (ARMY) ORGANISATION |
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG) Land Operations Group
GCNG Strength:
approximately 10,000 (including about 9,500 conscripts). Approximately
50,000 ready reservists.
Outline Structure:
2 x Divisional Headquarters
1 x Armoured Brigade
1 x Special Forces Group
2 x Combat/Logistic Support Brigades
This is a force that is heavily reliant on the mobilisation of
reserves and it is debatable as to how many well trained, ready
reserve would be available in an emergency. Probably about 60 per cent
of the active GCNG soldiers are deployed along the ‘Green Line’
between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot areas.
Formed reserve forces
units include 6 x light infantry brigades each with 3 x infantry
battalions and associated support.
Cypriot Armoured Brigade (Outline Organisation)
|
MAJOR
GREEK CYPRIOT NATIONAL GUARD (ARMY) EQUIPMENT |
|
Main Battle Tanks (MBT) |
41 x T-80U |
|
|
100 x AMX-30 |
|
Reconnaissance (Recce) |
15 x EE-3 Jacaranda (Wheeled) |
|
|
120-EE-9 Cascavel (Wheeled) |
|
Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles
(AIFV) |
40 x BMP-3 (Tracked) |
|
Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) |
160 Leonadis
(Tracked) |
| |
112 x VAB variants
(Wheeled) |
| Self Propelled
Artillery (SP ARTY) |
12 x 155 mm Mark F3 |
| |
12 x 155 mm Zuzana |
| Towed Artillery |
70 x 105 mm
M-56 |
| |
12 x 155 mm TR-F-1 |
| Multiple Rocket
Launchers (MRL) |
18 x 128 mm
M-63 |
| Mortars (Mor) |
100 x 120 mm
(estimate) |
| |
200 x 81 mm
(estimate) |
| |
20 x 107 mm
(estimate) |
| Anti-Tank (Atk) |
22 x HOT possibly 15
SP (ATGW) |
| |
40 x Milan possibly
18 SP (ATGW) |
| |
50 x 106 mm (RCL)
(estimate) |
| |
40 x EM-67 (RCL)
(estimate) |
| |
Approx 1,500 rocket
launchers (66 mm to 112 mm) |
|
Low Level Air
Defence (LLAD) |
6 x
TorM1 (SAM) |
| |
100
x SA-7B (SAM) |
| |
12 x Mistral/Atlas
(SAM) |
| |
18 x Mistral Manpads (SAM) |
| |
12 x Aspide (SAM) (12 more on order) |
| |
24 x
GDF-003 with Skyguard radar (AAA) |
| |
Approx 50-60 other
20 mm or 40 mm guns (AAA) |
|
MARITIME
WING ORGANISATION |
Maritime Wing Strength:
approximately 100
Outline Maritime Wing Structure:
6 x Small coastal patrol vessels
1 x Coastal defence battery with 3 x Exocet MM-40 (SSM) launchers and
24 x missiles
This extremely small maritime unit is equipped for inshore patrolling
and a basic search and rescue role. Main bases are at Limasol and
Paphos.
Air Wing Strength:
approximately 300
Outline Air Wing Structure:
The
role of the GCNF Aviation Wing is to provide aviation support to the
land forces, and where necessary provide patrol duties (including
maritime patrol) plus liaison and transport.
There are two main aviation bases:
449 Squadron – Lakatamia
5 x SA-342L, 2 x UH-1H and 2 x Bell 206L-3
450 Squadron – Paphos
1 x PC-9, 11 x Mi-35P and 1 x BN-2B
The Cyprus Police operates 1 x BN.2B and 2 x Bell 412SP from Larnica.
|
Transport (TPT) |
1 x PC-9 |
|
|
1 x BN-2B-21
Maritime Defender |
|
Helicopters
(Hel) |
5 x SA-432L
(some with HOT ATGW) |
|
|
2 x UH-1H |
|
|
1 x Bell
206L |
|
|
11
x Mi-35P Hind F (attack) |
