Cyprus
Cyprus: Study to greatly upgrade the Mari naval base so it can host large warships
Cyprus’s Ministry of Defence has awarded a year-long study to expand the Evangelos Florakis naval base at Mari so it can berth more than eight large surface warships and support ships of friendly navies, Janes reports.
The Republic of Cyprus is taking the first step towards turning the “Evangelos Florakis” naval base at Mari into a port able to receive large warships of friendly countries. The Cypriot Ministry of Defence has commissioned a one-year study on expanding the base, according to an update it posted on October 6, while details of the project’s aims were given by Commodore Nicolaos Luca of the Cyprus Navy in a conversation with Janes on October 8.
More than eight berths for large ships
As Luca explained, the study’s main objective is to secure enough berthing capacity for more than eight large-displacement surface combatants and support ships of “friendly navies”. Use of the base by foreign ships will be subject to the approval of the Cypriot authorities. The study will determine the final number of berths, the size limits of the vessels to be served and the technical specifications.
The expansion mainly concerns harbour and maritime infrastructure. The land area of the base stays the same for now, although upgrades are planned for the shore facilities.
Two Greek firms take on the study
The contractor is the TRITON–MARNET consortium, made up of two Athens-based engineering consultancies. TRITON Consulting Engineers S.A. works in civil, marine, structural, geotechnical and environmental design, while MARNET S.A. specialises in port, coastal and environmental works. The choice of a Greek consortium for a project of this importance shows how closely Greek–Cypriot cooperation now extends to defence infrastructure as well.
From patrol boats to large destroyers
Today the port of Mari serves only the needs of the Cyprus Navy, which operates a compact coastal security fleet of patrol vessels and fast craft. Its largest ship is the general support ship Alasia (A620), displacing 900 tonnes, 62 metres long with a beam of 10.7 metres. The gap between such a ship and allied frigates and destroyers, which often exceed 6,000 tonnes, explains why completely new harbour infrastructure is needed. Allied warships visiting Cyprus usually berth at the ports of Limassol and Larnaca, and the island has already taken on a role in supporting allied operations, as the deployment of HMS Dragon to defend the bases showed.
The project is part of a wider programme to strengthen the Republic of Cyprus’s defence infrastructure. At the same time, the “Andreas Papandreou” air base in Paphos is being upgraded, while at Mari a heliport for large transport helicopters, funded by the United States, is being developed, among other things for operations to evacuate civilians from crisis areas.
What it means for the Eastern Mediterranean
A base hosting allied fleets on Cyprus’s southern coast would change the picture for the presence of European and American naval forces in the region. The project is still at the planning stage: neither the technical specifications nor the construction timetable have been finalised, which will be decided once the study is completed in about a year.
