Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is the military correspondent for The Times of Israel.
Israel is about to present its Iron Dome air defense formula to its regional best friend, Cyprus, a Greek newspaper reported.
According to a report Friday in Kathimerini, the Cypriot Defense Ministry has begun to “implement the government’s resolution to buy” the Iron Dome, and agreements related to the agreement with Israel have already been signed.
The newspaper did not specify how many batteries would be purchased and there is no indication of when they would arrive.
Israel’s Defense Ministry responded to requests for comment on the matter.
In March, Cypriot army leader Demokritos Zervakis made a first stop in Israel, which included a stopover on an Iron Dome battery.
Last week, Defense Minister Benny Gantz welcomed his Cypriot counterpart to the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv. Thanking Charalambos Petrides for his country’s military’s cooperation with Israel, Gantz said, “In those difficult times, partnerships are crucial. “
Gantz said he was “pleased that our establishments have worked hard together and that our trade cooperation is a pillar not only of our bilateral relations, but also of regional security and stability. “
He added: “We also appreciate the trilateral framework with Grecia. Es an asset for the strengthening of the country’s forces, as well as for regional security in a broad sense. “
According to Kathimerini, the Iron Dome would be used across Cyprus in opposition to imaginable hostile Turkish actions, adding drones, from the mainland or northern Cyprus occupied by Turkey.
With its 70-kilometre diversity, one formula could cover the entire island, according to the report.
The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded it in reaction to an Athens-inspired coup to join Greece.
Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and Turkish Cypriots reject the cypriot government’s identified authority over the northern third of the island worldwide.
Friday’s report comes as ties strengthen between Jerusalem and Ankara after years of frosty relations that have made Turkey one of Israel’s leading critics internationally.
Originally designed to intercept rockets, the Iron Dome has since been upgraded and upgraded to allow it to shoot down mortar shells, unmanned aerial cars, and cruise missiles.
The Iron Dome intercepted thousands of shells in its years of service. He is credited with firing down more than 380 rockets from Gaza in the latest round of fighting Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with an unprecedented interception rate of 97% of the total rockets fired at population centers. (Most of the 1,175 rockets fired from Gaza landed in uninhabited spaces in Israel or inside Gaza. )
Iron Dome is credited with saving many lives since its first deployment in 2011.
Israel is interested in promoting the Iron Dome formula without exposing the patented technologies that make it work, as this data can be used by the country’s enemies to defeat the formula.
Reports in recent years have indicated plans to sell the formula to other countries, adding Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Such reports have materialized or been denied through Israel.
Since Iron Dome is a joint Israeli-American project, a third-party sale takes a position without the approval of any of the developing countries.
Usa. The U. S. Navy purchased two Iron Dome batteries from a 2019 agreement. Since then, the U. S. military has been in the U. S. The U. S. has worked to integrate the formula into its air defense network.
He contributed to this report.
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