Filenews 9 May 2025
The Republic of Cyprus has signed a contract for the supply of 12 Sherpa armoured vehicles with the French company Arquus, according to an announcement by a spokesperson of the company on the first day of the DEFEA 2025 defence equipment exhibition, which was held in Athens from 6 to 8 May. The spokeswoman did not specify the exact date of signing the contract.
The vehicles will be used as launch platforms for Akeron guided anti-tank missiles, as part of strengthening the capabilities of the Cypriot army.
Cyprus' interest in Sherpas became known in June 2024, when the French newspaper La Tribune reported that Nicosia was going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the acquisition of the vehicles. This was preceded, in September 2022, by a successful demonstration of the Sherpa/Akeron combination in Cyprus, in the framework of the European research project LynkEUs.
This acquisition is part of the broader efforts to modernize and upgrade the defence capabilities of the Republic of Cyprus.
