Nicosia wants to exhaust the financial possibilities and opportunities offered by the SAFE regulation, in order to increase the deterrent power of the National Guard through the borrowing tool offered by the European Union.
As you inform Filenews, several contracts have been advanced and it will not be long before smaller armament programs concern, for example, drones and other systems that require short production time, will enter the arsenal of the National Guard.
As for the largest armaments, i.e. armoured vehicles, it is estimated that these programs will start to be implemented from 2028 onwards, due to the high demand in the global armaments market.
In this context, Nicosia's planning to strengthen the armoured units and capabilities of the National Guard, is the state-of-the-art EBRC Jaguar armoured fighting vehicle (IFV). The vehicle is manufactured by the companies KNDS France (formerly Nexter Systems), Arquus and Thales and has many capabilities in combat and modern warfare.
This is a modern 6×6 vehicle, designed as part of the SCORPION program to modernize France's ground forces. It is intended to gradually replace the older AMX-10RC and ERC-90 Sagaie. It can operate both in the open field and in urban or mountainous areas and has a crew of three.
Its main feature is the significant firepower it has compared to other vehicles in its class. It has a 40mm CT40 cannon, a 7.62mm remote-controlled machine gun and an Akeron MP anti-tank missile launcher, with two missiles ready to fire and two more as a reserve. The cannon can use different types of ammunition, including piercing, explosive, and programmable airburst ammunition.
As Filenews is informed, if Nicosia acquires these vehicles, it will not make them available to replace other vehicles that the National Guard has in large numbers, but will join the force as complementary. Indicatively, the French army currently has only 128 EBRC Jaguars, while it is expected to receive 30 more in 2026. Belgium has ordered 60 units, Luxembourg 38, while Ireland has also ordered an unknown number. It is worth mentioning that Cyprus maintains a tradition in armoured armaments of French origin and the choice of the French market is not at all accidental.
French wheeled APCs for the National Guard
As Filenews revealed in an article last December, in the list of the Ministry of Defense, there are two options of wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs), both from the French industry.
According to a report by La Tribune last March, Nicosia is considering the purchase of about 80 Griffon vehicles and about 100 Servals from KNDS France, while part of them may carry MBDA's Akeron MP anti-tank missiles. In addition, La Tribune claims that discussions are underway with the French company Arquus to upgrade about 80 armoured VABs from the National Guard fleet.
Pressure at all levels for Merkava
The decision to upgrade and modernize the armoured forces has been largely delayed. Cyprus needs a new main battle tank to replace the role of the Russian T-80s, which have become very expensive and unprofitable to maintain.
Nicosia seems to have locked its target for a long time, and that is the Israeli Merkava (Mk3 or Mk4). The information states that pressure is being exerted on Tel Aviv to consent and give the National Guard a significant number of vehicles. As Filenews is informed, in the Jewish government, opinions differ on this action. There are voices that consent to the concession of the Merkava to Cyprus, but there are also circles that want the vehicles to remain at the disposal of the IDF, for the Israeli reserves.
This is a purchase, which, if achieved, will be made from the budget of the Ministry of Defense for armament spending. This particular vehicle is considered suitable for the National Guard due to the similarity of the territory of Cyprus and Israel. An important factor is also the proximity of the manufacturing country, which will facilitate the logistical support of these vehicles.
