A former Russian partner who has drawn closer to the US in recent years has lately become something of a hub for Western special operations activity.
Earlier this year, US Navy SEALs and Special-Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen completed a three-week-long series of exercises with Cypriot naval commandos off of Cyprus.
The exercises between the US and its eastern Mediterranean ally come as the war in Gaza and Houthi attacks on shipping along the nearby Red Sea continue.
The exercises send a “clear message to our adversaries,” Capt. Bill Gallagher, the SEAL commander on-site said. “Through joint endeavors, we fortify our capabilities and make clear that any aggression will be met with a swift, unyielding response.”
The operators trained in Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure and other missions. VBSS training simulates boarding and searching a vessel for illegal cargo and potentially seizing it.
Americans aren’t the only ones who have deployed to the island recently.
As a result of the war in Gaza, special operation units from Germany and the Netherlands also pre-deployed to Cyprus in case they needed to evacuate civilians or rescue hostages.
Furthermore, according to Israeli media, the US deployed 20 heavy cargo planes, carrying arms and troops, to the sovereign UK base of Akrotiri on Cyprus soon after the war started. The base was also used by the UK and the US to launch strikes against Houthi militias in Yemen.
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bill Carlisle
A strategic island
Often described as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier,” Cyprus is strategically located in the eastern Mediterranean and provides access to the Levant, North Africa, and Asia Minor.
The country’s proximity to Israel, Gaza, and the Red Sea is important for special operations training.
“There is no substitute for pre-deploying and training for potential operations within the theater in which they’ll occur, or as close to it as possible,” Jeff Butler, a former Navy SEAL officer told Business Insider.
“In addition to physical proximity – which itself allows for more rapid deployment of an already acclimatized force – the ability to train and rehearse for operations in or near theater focuses the mind, offers the chance to adapt [standard operating procedures] to local conditions, and nullifies any disorientation or mental fatigue that could result from a last-minute arrival in theater,” he said.
Pre-deploying and training closer to a potential theater is akin to “an NFL team that travels to the site of the Super Bowl the week before the big game, with the intention of blunting the edge of the ‘awe’ factor that can result from arriving in an unfamiliar locale just before the big game,” Butler explained.
Highlighting the island’s strategic position, the White House announced that Cyprus will play an important part in establishing a maritime corridor for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bill Carlisle
A new US partner
Cyprus was formerly close to Russia. It has been a haven for illicit Russian funds, and Russian billionaires used financial institutions there to avoid Western sanctions. It has been estimated that the country was the recipient or intermediary of about 50% of Russian foreign investment in 2019.
In 2015, Nicosia signed a deal with Moscow allowing Russian warships to access its ports for replenishment. Additionally, the Cypriot National Guard uses several Russian arms.
However, the country has significantly strengthened its relations with the US recently and turned its back on Russia.
In 2019, Congress voted to increase energy cooperation with Cyprus, Israel, and Greece, and in 2020, the US partially lifted the arms embargo it had imposed on Cyprus since 1987 that had meant to limit the amount of arms on the de facto divided island.
Following Turkey’s 1974 invasion, the island has been ethnically divided between its majority Greek-Cypriot and minority Turkish-Cypriot populations. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, de facto controls the island’s northern third, while the internationally recognized government in Nicosia controls about two-thirds of the island in the south.
Starting in recent years, US special operation units started training with their Cypriot counterparts, and US warships have started visiting the island.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Cyprus barred Russian warships from its ports and scrapped the 2015 agreement, something the US had demanded.
In 2022, the US fully lifted its arms embargo, and the next year, the Cypriot National Guard partnered with the New Jersey National Guard to promote security ties.
Simultaneously, the amount of Russian capital on the island has been falling.
Although the lifting of the embargo is evaluated annually and is provisional on Cyprus continuing to deny access to Russian warships and tackling illicit finance, the military relationship between the US and Cyprus appears stronger than ever.
“The interoperability and camaraderie displayed here transcend conventional military cooperation. These face-to-face iterations of training not only bolster our combat capabilities but ensures the US and Cypriot relationship remains steadfast,” Gallagher, the Navy SEAL captain, said.
