Cyprus is entering the 2026 fire season with its strongest aerial firefighting force in recent years, following a strategic plan launched in early 2025.
State authorities said the Republic now has a strike force of 14 aircraft for the period between 1 April and 31 October. The fleet consists of nine planes and five helicopters.
The Republic currently has 11 aircraft available for immediate use, including 10 leased units and one state-owned plane. Two additional firefighting aircraft from Jordan have arrived and are stationed in Cyprus, while a British Chinook (CH-47) helicopter is based at Akrotiri.
Four leased Air Tractor (AT-802F) aircraft and four Black Hawk firefighting helicopters are currently stationed at Paphos Air Base with their crews in full operational readiness.
The two Jordanian Air Tractors, which arrived on 15 April following a government request, are currently at Larnaca International Airport. They will be joined on 1 May by the Republic’s first newly delivered, state-owned Air Tractor, which will be flown by Cypriot pilots. This aircraft is the first of three identical models, with the second expected later in 2026 and the third in 2028.
Two further leased Air Tractors and the British Chinook are based at the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Areas. In the event of major fires requiring large-scale deployment, the National Guard will use an AW139 helicopter as an airborne coordination centre to manage flight safety and water drop precision.
EU Regional Firefighting Centre established
The establishment of the European Union’s Regional Firefighting Centre (CRAFS) in Cyprus has been confirmed, boosting Nicosia’s role in European civil protection ahead of its 2026 EU Council Presidency.
President Nikos Christodoulides recently visited the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos, where the centre will be located. Accompanied by Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas and the National Guard Chief, the President was briefed on the infrastructure, base upgrades, and rapid deployment capabilities.
The centre’s operation will be officially ratified on 23 and 24 April during an informal European Council Summit in Cyprus. President Christodoulides and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will inaugurate the project together.
Government Spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said the move is a “decisive moment” that highlights the country’s strategic role. He noted the centre is the result of a systematic Cypriot proposal adopted by Brussels.
The centre, co-funded by the EU and coordinated by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), aims to strengthen EU response capacity, enhance regional cooperation through the Mediterranean Pact, and bolster resilience against the climate crisis.
Strategic planning from 2025
Current readiness levels follow a major reorganisation that began last year. Defence Ministry sources said the transfer of the Air Firefighting Unit to the National Guard’s Air Force Command on 1 April 2025 was a turning point for better coordination.
A five-year plan approved in 2025 to acquire 10 state-owned planes is also underway. With the first aircraft already in the fleet and a second due this year, Cyprus is moving to reduce its reliance on expensive leases by investing in a uniform aircraft type to lower maintenance costs and increase efficiency.