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Cyprus Air Force An Air Wing was created in the Cyprus National Guard following the Turkish invasion and subsequent partitioning of the island in 1973. Officially, all units are classified as non-active under an agreement reached between the two Cypriot authorities at Vienna. The National Guard Air Wing was renamed the Cyrus Air Force in 1996, when it adopted the national military markings of Greece. It has a small personnel, operating 4 SA342L-1 Gazelle helicopters capable of anti-tank missile firing, plus 3 Bell 206L3 LongRanger and 2 MD500 helicopters; two PZL-140, known locally as the Karnia, a BN-2B Maritime Defender and 2 PC-9 for patrol and pilot training. In Turkish Northern Cyprus, the army has no aircraft of its own, but Turkish Army Cessna U-17 and Bell Iroquois UH-1D are stationed there permanently and at their disposal. |
Abstracted from and copyright of Jane's Air Forces of the World