The US Air Force is weighting options about a possible expansion of Cyprus main military air base to use as its main lynchpin for humanitarian operations towards the Middle East, thanks to the island’s position in the Mediterranean.
The Andreas Papandreou Air Force Base in Paphos is located in the south of the island, which is 184 km from the coast of Lebanon. It has been already used as a transit point for repatriation from the Middle East and for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, in the next days experts from the 435th Contingency Response Group will travel from their usual base of Ramstein, Germany to assess the Cypriot base and what upgrades are needed to ensure more US military assets.
The main priority is security as the base borders with the civilian airport, the second biggest in the country. The proximity with the civilian airport is one reason for the decision to expand the military airport as it allows for easier transfer of evacuees to civilian aircraft.
To ensure higher military security, the base will require an upgrade to the highest tech available for radar, so that operations at the two close airports are safe and separated. Other crucial updates include an expansion to the runway and the base itself in order to station more transport and fight aircraft. An official spoke with Associated Press anonymously and mentioned that the experts are also thinking about hardened shelters to protect the base.
The possible expansion will have to be approved by the Cyprus government. Deputy government spokesman Yannis Antoniou told public broadcaster CyBC that the base will not be used for military strikes. According to Antoniou, the experts will also offer and estimate of the cost’s upgrades and will tell how much of it the US government is going to be willing to cover.
The inspection for possible upgrades follows a recent deployment of US Marines at the base. The contingent was there to monitor the situation in case they had to intervene during Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the last months of 2024.
