EU approves five joint defence projects, with Cyprus joining four

Nicosia, Cyprus. The Council of the EU on Monday approved the first five European Defence Projects of Common Interest, with Cyprus participating in four. The projects cover drones and counter-drone systems, maritime defence, space, air and missile defence, and protection of the EU’s eastern flank.

Joint defence capabilities

The projects aim to strengthen Europe’s defence readiness and industrial capacity by enabling member states to develop capabilities too large or complex to pursue individually.

“Today we turn ambition into action,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Cyprus is participating in Drone and Counter-Drone European Resolve, Integrated Maritime and Seabed Defence, EU Federated Integrated Air and Missile Defence, and Eastern Flank Watch.

The drone project will develop and deploy drones and counter-drone technologies on a large scale to address critical capability gaps. The maritime project aims to establish an integrated, interoperable system to detect, deter and respond to threats at sea and on the seabed, including threats to critical underwater infrastructure. The air and missile defence project will combine early-warning capabilities with coordinated command-and-control systems.

Eastern flank security

Eastern Flank Watch is intended to strengthen security along the EU’s eastern borders across land, air, sea and cyberspace. Cyprus is participating despite its distance from the EU’s eastern land border. The European Commission has said the project is intended to benefit all member states and could expand its geographical area of interest.

Irish Defence Minister Helen McEntee called the projects “decisive steps” towards strengthening Europe’s security. “Working closely with our partners Norway and Ukraine, we are taking decisive steps together to protect our space, our skies, our seas, our undersea cables and the citizens who depend on them,” she said.