Cyprus Navy The Cyprus Naval Command ( Greek Ναυτική Διοίκηση Κύπρου ) ( also known as the Cyprus Navy or Cypriot Navy ) is the armed sea wing of the Cyprus National Guard . This force does not possess any capital ship s , but is equipped with patrol boat s , landing craft , surface - to - surface missile systems and integrated radar systems , as well as SEALs - type naval underwater demolitions units . The Cyprus Navy has the primary mission of defending the sea borders of the Republic of Cyprus , but is currently unable to access waters around Turkish - occupied Northern Cyprus which are controlled by the Turkish Navy since the 1974 conflict . History . Combat actions of 1964 . On 6 August 1964 , Cyprus National Guard forces commenced combat action against the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Kokkina , in the north - west of Cyprus . This operation was regarded by both Cyprus and Greece as a necessary interdiction against a threat by Turkish Cypriot militia , who were using Kokkina as a beachhead by which to land supplies and weapons shipped from Turkey . The Cyprus National Guard forces were under the command of General George Grivas , with the blessing of Athens . A combined land and sea attack was launched against Kokkina using two Cyprus Navy R - 151 Group patrol boat s , the " Phaethon " ( " commander - Second Leuthenant Dimitrios Mytsatsos " ) and the " Arion " , manned by Greek navy personnel . Firing 40mm and 20mm shells , the two patrol boats bombarded the enclave for a period of time , in conjunction with land - based 25 - pounder artillery . The battle was well underway on 8 August , when the Turkish Air Force commenced its own attack with fighter aircraft , making numerous strafing passes of Greek Cypriot positions . The vessel " Phaethon " was struck by rocket fire and burst into flames , forcing the crew to deliberately run it aground near Xeros Harbour . Seven of the crewmembers on " Phaethon " were killed and several wounded in the attack , and the ship was unsalvagable and later stricken . The second R - 151 Group patrol boat , " Arion " , was attacked by the same Turkish fighter jet formations , and was reportedly struck several times by strafing fire , but escaped to Paphos . During the attack on the " Arion " , a Turkish F - 100 Super Sabre , piloted by Captain Cengiz Topel , was struck by 40mm anti - aircraft fire and shot down . The pilot ejected over land but was promptly captured and lynched by members of the Cyprus National Guard . Navy Organization in 1970 . MTB ' s flotilla : Cyprus Navy vessels in 1964 - 1974 . Main armament Combat actions of 1974 . On 15 July 1974 , EOKA - B and elements of the Cyprus National Guard overthrew the legitimate President , Archbishop Makarios and replaced him with Nikos Sampson . Makarios escaped an initial attempt to capture him at the Archbishiporic in Nicosia , and fled to Paphos . A naval patrol vessel , " Leventis " ( pennant number 15 ) was quickly dispatched to Paphos to begin shelling a radio station there which was being operated by pro - Makarios elements . On 20 July 1974 , Turkey invaded Cyprus in a surprise - attack , without issuing a declaration of war . A naval force of Turkish vessels was detected by coastal radar at Apostolos Andreas approaching the coast , and a second force of naval vessels was sighted off the coast of Kyrenia during the early hours . The Cyprus National Guard Naval Command quickly ordered its two motor torpedo boats , " T - 1 " ( " commander - Lieutenant Junior Grade Nicolaos Verikios " ) and " T - 3 " ( " commander - Lieutenant Elefterios Tsomakis " ) , ( based at Kyrenia ) to attack the Turkish flotilla directly . Both vessels were promptly sunk by combined air and sea attack . The rest of the Cyprus Navy vessels were sunk by their own crews at Naval base " Chrysulis " in Boghazi ( 14 . 08 . 1974 ) . After the conflict , two boats were refloated by Turkish troops and transferred to Golcuk Naval Museum , Turkey ( on display with pennant numbers 11 and 12 ) . Developments from 1975 to 2008 . In 1983 , the Navy acquired a single Type 32L Esterel fast patrol craft from France . The vessel has been upgraded , and has heavy armament , including two 2 - round Mistral - SIMBAD air - defence missile launchers , 1 40mm . 70cal OTO - Breda - Bofors AA cannon and 1 20mm . 90cal Rhinemettall AA cannon . Later ( circa 2006 - 2008 ) 40mm . 70cal OTO - Breda - Bofors AA cannon was replaced by 20mm . 70cal Oerlikon Mk10 AA cannon . In 1994 , Cyprus acquired 24 Aerospatiale MM40 Exocet Block - II anti - ship missiles ( reportedly initially intended for Iran ) from France , along with 3 coastal defence batteries . In 2000 , the Cyprus Navy received the ex - Hellenic Navy patrol boat " " Knossos " " , which was renamed " " Kyrenia " " , designated " P02 " and formed the " Kyrenia " class . This vessel was Greek made , of the Dilos - class , previously designated P269 . This vessel is armed with one single 20mm . 70cal Oerlikon Mk10 AA cannon and one 2 - round Mistral - SIMBAD air - defence missile launcher . In 2002 , the Cyprus Navy acquired two Rodman 55 fast assault boats for the purpose of serving her Special Forces units . These fast craft are named " Agathos " and " Panagos " . During 2004 - 2006 , Cyprus took delivery of four FPB 30M type fast patrol craft from manufacturer Cantierre Navale Vittoria of Italy , of which two were intended for the Navy , and two intended for the Marine Police . These vessels were fitted with single 25mm . 80cal KBA OTO - Melara automatic cannons and two single 12 . 7mm machine guns , equipped with radars and Forward Looking Infra - Red ( FLIRs ) . The Navy pair were issued the pennant numbers " P03 " and " P04 " . 2011 Base Disaster and Naval Reconstruction . On 11 July 2011 , the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion resulted in the destruction of much of the infrastructure of the nation ' s main naval port and loss of the Commander of Cypriot Navy Captain Andreas Ioannides . Reconstruction began immediately on the strength of domestic contracts for buildings and structures . 2013 Reported Acquisition of New Warships . Following various media reports in 2012 that Cyprus was entertaining offers by Israel and Greece to supply two heavy Offshore Patrol Vessels ( OPVs ) , being far larger and more capable than anything previously operated , it was extensively reported in January 2013 that Cyprus has signed an agreement with France to purchase two large , stealthy and well - armed vessels based upon the GOWIND corvette design . This frenzy of media speculation was bolstered by the otherwise sudden and unexplained visit to Cyprus by the L ' Adroit , which some sources interpreted as a demonstration of the ship design , to be held at Limassol port from 24 to 26 January 2013 . Further unconfirmed reports by the Cyprus media claim to have it on good authority that a $ 120 million USD down payment for the vessels is factored into the 2013 fiscal budget , justified against the financial crisis by emergency defense requirements . Current inventory of vessels . Main naval base - Evangelos Florakis , Zygi Naval stations - Limassol , Pafos