Nicosia, Cyprus. The Netherlands on Monday confirmed it intends to send a frigate to Cyprus following last week’s strike on the island by an Iranian-made drone. The move adds to a growing list of countries deploying naval and air assets in the area.
Dutch frigate to join French carrier strike group
Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reported that the Dutch government described the frigate deployment as “a limited deployment of a defensive nature, both geographically and in terms of time”, with the ship expected to remain in Cypriot waters until the beginning of next month. The frigate is part of the carrier strike group of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is currently located off the Greek island of Crete and is en route towards Cyprus.
Macron visits Charles de Gaulle after Cyprus trip
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Charles de Gaulle on Monday after paying a joint visit to Cyprus alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Macron said during his visit to Cyprus that the Charles de Gaulle is “now close to Cyprus to contribute to the overall defence picture, and to ensure it in the long term”.
Italy and Spain announce frigate deployments
Italy earlier announced its intention to send the Federico Martinego frigate to Cyprus, while Spain is to send the Cristobal Colon frigate.
Greek and Turkish fighter jet deployments
Greece deployed four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus last Monday, as well as two frigates, including the Kimon, which Mitsotakis described during his visit to the island as the “pride of the Greek fleet”. After the Greek F-16 deployment, Turkey deployed six F-16s, which arrived on the island on Monday morning.
UK assets and Akrotiri operations
The United Kingdom, which operates and holds sovereignty over the Akrotiri air force base that was hit by last week’s drone, has sent multiple AW159 Wildcat helicopters armed with anti-drone missiles to Cyprus. The HMS Dragon Type 45 destroyer warship is also expected to depart from Portsmouth within the coming days. Last week, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that Cyprus, and more specifically Akrotiri, has been used as the launchpad for missions aimed at engaging and shooting down drones fired from Iran.
What impact do you expect the increased military deployments near Cyprus to have on regional security?