Cyprus today commemorated the 66th anniversary of its declaration of independence with a large military parade in Nicosia, during which for the first time, the BARAK-MX medium- and long-range air defense system, which was added to the arsenal of the National Guard’s Air Force Command in 2025.
For the first time, military contingents from Egypt and the United Kingdom participated in the parade, along with a CN-295 CASA transport aircraft from the Egyptian Air Force.
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French Marines and U.S. Marines and sailors from the destroyer “Roosevelt” also participated, while two F-16 Viper fighter jets from the Greek Air Force flew at low altitude over the parade.
The parade, which took place at 11:00 a.m. on Joseph Hadjiosif Avenue in Nicosia, was reviewed by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, flanked by Minister of Defense Vasilis Palmas, Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias, the Commander of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Emmanouil Theodorou, and the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Dimitrios Houpis.
Units from the National Guard, the Police, the Fire Department, the Search and Rescue Coordination Center, the Forestry Department, the Civil Defense, as well as the Ambulance Service; among other things, unmanned aerial vehicles were showcased, while a formation of four modern Airbus H145M attack helicopters flew over Nicosia.
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The parade, which took place in front of the public, was attended by the Chief of the United Kingdom’s Armed Forces, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, and representatives of the armed forces from Egypt, France, and the United States of America, as well as ambassadors and defense attachés from foreign countries and other dignitaries.
Source: CNA
