Cyprus’s first offshore patrol vessel arrives at Larnaca port
An Israeli-built offshore patrol vessel (OPV) arrived at Larnaca port on Wednesday. It will be the island’s first OPV and is expected to strengthen Cyprus’s navy and its security role in the wider region.
It was constructed in Haifa and was purchased by Cyprus as part of a bilateral agreement. It measures 62 meters in length, is 8 meters-wide and weighs 450 tons. It is also armed with automatic guns and carries anti-aircraft missiles.
Some 30 Cypriot naval officers have been undergoing OPV training in Israel since September.
The vessel cost Cyprus a reported 44 million euros and will officially be included in the National Guard in a ceremony on January 15 at the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Paphos on January 15.
