Jessica ParkerRAF Akrotiri
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European allies are sending warships and anti-drone defense systems to Cyprus after a British air base was hit on the island over the weekend.
The small eastern Mediterranean nation unexpectedly found itself drawn into the wake of US-Israeli strikes against Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed in a televised address that a French frigate, the Languedoc, would arrive in Cyprus on Tuesday evening.
Greece has already agreed to send four F-16 fighter jets as well as two frigates, including the Psara ship which is equipped with a Greek anti-drone system called Centauros.
Visiting Nicosia on Tuesday, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias promised that “Greece is present and will continue to be present to assist in any way possible in the defense of the Republic of Cyprus.”
“The idea of sending a Type 45 [air defence destroyer] in the vicinity of Akrotiri involves relying on a multi-layered air defense system,” said former military strategist Mikey Kay.
The “very expensive equipment” sent by the UK is “very capable”, Kay said.
“But how effective is it in terms of cost-benefit – and how many missiles do they have when dealing with multiple swarms of Shahed 136 drones?”
The BBC team could hear the ferocious roar of the jets as we stood outside RAF Akrotiri, used for training and as a mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East.
Although Britain did not take part in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, British planes are taking part in what the government has described as “defensive operations” to protect British citizens and their allies in the Middle East.
On Tuesday evening, the Defense Ministry said RAF F-35 jets flying over Jordan shot down an Iranian drone.
The drone alert at Akrotiri on Sunday led to the evacuation of British families from the base, as well as hundreds of local Cypriots living nearby.
All this has caused concern among British military families and some local populations, while Cyprus has criticized the UK’s handling of the situation.
In particular, said a Cypriot government spokesperson, an initial lack of clarity “on whether UK bases in Cyprus would under any circumstances be used for anything other than humanitarian purposes”.
Cyprus has stressed that it is not involved in the spreading conflict in the Middle East and is not itself a target.
Located off the coasts of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, Cyprus is the easternmost country among the 27 member states of the European Union.
The British military presence in Cyprus is a legacy of the colonial past.
When Cyprus gained independence in 1960, the United Kingdom retained sovereignty over sites including the Akrotiri Peninsula.
In total, these sites cover just under 3 percent of the island’s land, or 98 square miles, and extend beyond restricted military zones.
But the British government now faces questions about its willingness to protect its overseas bases.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons that Britain had already deployed additional radar, aviation and counter-drone capabilities.
A drone struck RAF Akrotiri on Sunday evening, causing minimal damage and no casualties before two more drones were apparently intercepted on Monday.
The United Kingdom did not specify where it believed the drone that struck the base came from, but the Cypriot government suspects the Iran-backed Hezbollah group of being present in Lebanon.
British officials believe the first drone was launched before Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he would allow the United States to use British bases for “limited” and “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Bases in Cyprus are not used by US bombers, Starmer told the House of Commons.
RAF Akrotiri was last attacked in 1986 by pro-Libyan militants, injuring three people.
