Akrotiri, Cyprus. A British defence ministry spokesman said congested airspace above and around Cyprus is behind repeated “security threat” messages sent to personnel at the British Akrotiri air force base and local residents.
Cause of the alerts
The spokesman said there is congested airspace in the region, with “a lot of planes, jets, missiles and drones” in other parts of the airspace near the island.
Radar sensitivity and monitoring
He said British military radar systems monitoring the region are “hyper-aware and sensitive” and can be triggered by manned and unmanned aircraft that are not necessarily headed toward Cyprus. He said the systems detect “heat streaks or heat sources” moving toward the region, but which are not ultimately bound for Cyprus.
Precautionary messages and cancellations
The spokesman said the messages are sent as a first precaution and are often cancelled minutes later when it becomes clear that what was detected is not headed for Cyprus.
Recent context
Base personnel and local residents have received multiple such messages since an Iranian-made drone hit the base in the early hours of Monday morning, though no drones have hit the island since then.
Have you received any of the recent “security threat” messages in your area?