National Guard includes drones in final phase of Iris 2026 exercise

Kalo Chorio, Cyprus. Drones participated for the first time as the National Guard conducted the concluding phase of Iris 2026 on Thursday. Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said strong defence and deterrence capabilities were essential for the force to carry out its mission and safeguard the Republic of Cyprus.

Defence readiness

Palmas said the continuing Turkish occupation of part of Cyprus, together with instability across the wider region, made manoeuvres necessary to strengthen the island’s capabilities.

The exercise tested National Guard operational readiness with support from Greek F-16s and naval forces. Its scenario required troops to repel an enemy assault before mounting a counteroffensive to recover territory.

Ground and air operations

Under the scenario, opposing forces breached a section of the defensive position. Mechanised infantry halted their advance and inflicted losses, enabling armoured units to counterattack with commando and air force reinforcements.

T-80 tanks, BMP-3 armoured combat vehicles and antitank systems launched missiles and fired shells. Fighter jets and combat helicopters conducted reconnaissance and simulated strikes against enemy targets.

Drones and special operations

H-10 Poseidon, Goliath and Matrice drones were deployed for surveillance, intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and targeting.

A subsequent demonstration featured FPV drones striking targets and systems intercepting hostile drones. It illustrated how intelligence collection and target identification were linked to the use of data in supporting missions.

Commando special operations units conducted infiltration missions. These were followed by a sniper demonstration and a free-fall jump from an AW-139 helicopter.