Between 11 and 20 July 1968, "the Firebirds" deployed from Akrotiri to Luqa for Exercise Island Litex. In August 1971, the squadron acquired Lightning F.6s after No. 74 (F) Squadron flew them over from RAF Tengah, Singapore before they disbanded. A detachment of four Lightnings deployed to Luqa between 11 and 20 December 1971 to carry out scrambles, night flying and practise in-flight refuelling with a Handley Page Victor K.1A of No. 57 Squadron. "The Firebirds" deployed two more ten day attachments to RAF Luqa in May 1973 and June 1974. No. 56 (F) Squadron flew extensive top cover over Cyprus during the 1974 Cypriot coup d'état and the subsequent Turkish invasion of the island. "The Firebirds" returned to RAF Wattisham on 21 January 1975. While based at RAF Akrotiri, No. 56 (F) Squadron also operated a number of Canberras – these included a mixture of T.4s and B.2s.