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Cyprus is close to a roughly €150 million agreement to buy Israeli naval vessels and weapons systems, a significant defense purchase for an island whose security interests extend from its coastline to its offshore energy resources.
Sources in Nicosia confirmed to Kathimerini that Israel Shipyards and weapons manufacturer Rafael are nearing a joint deal to supply the Cyprus Navy. The agreement is expected to be signed in the coming weeks.
According to the report, the details have already been finalized between the Cypriot and Israeli defense ministries. The agreement has not yet been signed.
What Cyprus would receive
Under the proposed arrangement, Israel Shipyards would supply vessels equipped with Rafael weapons systems.
The report does not specify how many vessels Cyprus would purchase, their size or the precise weapons they would carry. Those details will be important in assessing what the €150 million package would add to the Navy’s capabilities.
The two companies have previously worked together on defense projects for Cyprus and other countries.
Less than a decade ago, Israel Shipyards delivered a patrol vessel to Cyprus intended to help protect waters within the country’s exclusive economic zone, where it has rights to explore and develop offshore resources.
That vessel was equipped with radar, systems for coordinating operations and two Typhoon weapon stations.
A wider defense relationship
The new purchase is being pursued through a government-to-government arrangement, meaning the two states are directly involved in the framework for the deal.
According to the reporting, it forms part of efforts to deepen defense, political and economic cooperation between Israel and Cyprus, alongside their relationship with Greece.
For people living in Cyprus, the significance goes beyond the arrival of new military equipment. The purchase would commit substantial public funds while further strengthening the island’s defense relationship with a key regional partner.
The naval agreement would also follow another major equipment program involving Israel.
According to Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist, Israel Aerospace Industries began supplying Cyprus with the Barak MX air defense system about two years ago to replace older anti-aircraft equipment.
Although Israel had not confirmed that agreement, the systems were displayed at the Oct. 1 military parade in Nicosia marking the Republic’s 66th anniversary, the newspaper reported.
Further cooperation could follow
Israeli defense industry sources told Calcalist that the proposed naval purchase could pave the way for additional business and defense cooperation between the two countries.
For now, the next step is the signing. Until the agreement and its specifications are announced, the full scale of the purchase, and the exact capabilities Cyprus would gain, remains unclear.
