Cyprus Military - 2024

Military and security forces

Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Froura, EF; includes Army Land Forces, Naval Command, Air Command) (2024)

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2022 est.)
2% of GDP (2021)
1.8% of GDP (2020)
1.6% of GDP (2019)
1.8% of GDP (2018)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 15,000 total active-duty personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is a mix of mostly Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with some more modern systems from several countries, including France, Israel, Russia, and Serbia (2023)

Military service age and obligation

Cypriot National Guard (CNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 14-month service obligation (2023)

note: the CNG accepts all foreign nationals of at least partial Cypriot descent under age 32 as volunteers; dual citizenship Cypriot origin citizens, who were born in Cyprus or abroad, have the obligation to serve in the CNG on repatriation, regardless of whether or not they possess a foreign citizenship; a person is considered as having Cypriot origin where a grandparent or parent was/is a Cypriot citizen

Military - note

established in 1964, the National Guard (EF) is responsible for ensuring Cyprus’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; its primary focus is Turkey, which invaded Cyprus in 1974 and maintains a large military presence in the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; the EF also participates in some internal missions, such as providing assistance during natural disasters; Greece is its main security partner and maintains about 1,000 troops on Cyprus; the EF has conducted training exercises with other militaries including France, Israel, and the US; since Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, the EF has actively participated in the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and has sent small numbers of personnel to some EU and missions; Cyprus is also part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

the EF, particularly the Army, would rely heavily on the mobilization of approximately 50,000 available reserves during a crisis; the majority of the active Army is deployed along the “Green Line” that separates the Greek Cypriots from the Turkish Cypriots; its principal combat forces are five infantry brigades, an armored brigade, and regiments of artillery, light infantry, and special forces; the Navy has a small number of coastal patrol craft and boats, as well as a special operations unit, while the Air Force has a few combat helicopters and ground-based air defense units (2023)