Cyprus has decided to earmark €170 million for the procurement of attack helicopters and other modern weapon systems.
The budget of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus for the year 2023 amounts to €523 million, with a significant increase in the funds intended for the purchase of modern and “smart” weapon systems for the National Guard.
The new contracts for the year 2023 of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as an anti-Drone system to intercept unmanned aircraft, a modern air defence system, an anti-tank missile system, and attack helicopters.
A significant increase in funds earmarked for the purchase of modern and “smart” weapon systems in the National Guard (EF) has been recorded in the last three years, as reported by the Cypriot website politis.com.cy.
According to the state budget of the Ministry of Defence for the year 2023, which was submitted to the Parliament for a vote, the “Defence Shield” chapter includes a fund of €170 million, which is intended for the purchase of military equipment and weapon programs.
The amount for defence shield approved for the year 2022, together with supplementary budgets, amounted to €180 million, and for the year 2021, to €143 million. In previous years, they barely exceeded €100 million each time the funds intended for the purchase of weapons systems.
The Ministry of Defence said the implementation of existing and new contracts is progressing, with the aim of “upgrading the quality of the National Guard with modern weapons, equipment and capabilities, in order to constitute a reliable, deterrent and defensive force”.
