Cyprus shows off its new Airbus military helicopters touted as more advanced than what Germany has
The helicopter is currently used by Germany, the U.S. Hungary, Belgium, Ireland and other militaries with over 500 variants currently in operation, logging over 8 million flight hours, according to Cyprus Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas.
'The new helicopter is a multi-role, digital instrument that is geared toward the demands of the 21st century,' Palmas told a ceremony at Cyprus' main Paphos air base.
Two more of the state-of-the-art aircraft will be delivered, while the contract with Airbus allows for the purchase of additional helicopters, said Airbus Senior Vice President for the H145 program Daniela Dudek.
Dudek said the reliability of the 3.8 ton aircraft is affirmed by its 40 years of service but the integration of advanced avionics and weapons systems make it the 'most military-capable aircraft in its category.'
'What we achieved over years to quickly integrate existing technology on the market, defense technology, and it is unique what you have here. You're even more advanced than what we currently have in Germany,' Dudek said.
The helicopter's advanced avionics, which Airbus codeveloped with Israeli companies in the last two years, also includes an integrated weapons system dubbed H-Force which enables the pilot to easily operate the helicopters weaponry in flight, eliminating the need for a separate weapons officer on board.
Dudek said another unique aspect of the Cypriot helicopters is an integrated battle management system that enables the aircraft to operate seamlessly with forces on the ground as well as other aircraft, including those belonging to the forces of other nations.
Additionally, the helicopter's electronic warfare and other systems afford it a strong self-protection capability.
Ethnically-divided Cyprus is in the process of modernizing its defensive capabilities to bring it up to modern European and NATO standards after years of relying on mainly Soviet-era, Russian-made weaponry. The island nation continues to operate Russian-made T-80 main battle tanks, but has recently sold off 11 Russian-made Mi35 attack helicopters to Serbia.
Cyprus was split in 1974, when Turkey invaded following a coup by Athens junta-backed supporters of uniting the island with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and maintains more than 35,000 troops in the island's northern third.
The Cypriot defense minister said the helicopter purchase is part of wider strategic planning for the continuous upgrading of the National Guard, enabling the island to take part in joint military drills with friendly nations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
5 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump threatens to sue ‘loser' Fed chair Powell: ‘Steve 'Manouychin' really gave me a ‘beauty'
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Tuesday said his next line of attack against 'loser' Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for refusing to lower interest rates could be a lawsuit over his $2.5 billion headquarters renovation. The president even slammed his own first-term treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, for recommending the head of the Central Bank. 'Jerome 'Too Late' Powell must NOW lower the rate. Steve 'Manouychin' really gave me a 'beauty' when he pushed this loser,' Trump wrote, misspelling the name of his then-cabinet member who encouraged him to pick Powell in 2017. Advertisement 4 President Trump — frustrated by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's refusal to lower interest rates — has accused Powell of squandering public resources on a $2.5 billion headquarters renovation. AP 'The damage he has done by always being Too Late is incalculable. Fortunately, the economy is sooo good that we've blown through Powell and the complacent Board. I am, though, considering allowing a major lawsuit against Powell to proceed because of the horrible, and grossly incompetent, job he has done in managing the construction of the Fed Buildings,' the president said. He added that the construction project 'should have been a $50 Million Dollar fix up.' Advertisement 4 Trump slammed his former treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin (right, next to his wife Louise Linton), for even recommending Powell in his first term. AP It's unclear what the lawsuit's claims would be. Powell's press office did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment. The president slammed Powell shortly after the monthly release of inflation data for July, with the Consumer Price Index showing a 2.7% annual increase in prices — remaining above the Fed's 2% target but well below a 9.1% peak under former President Joe Biden in June 2022. Powell has refused to lower interest rates at all in 2025 — with Trump alleging political motivations after three cuts last year, including two reductions shortly before the presidential election. During that race, Vice President Kamala Harris faced criticism for her role in the incumbent administration's economic program. Advertisement 4 Trump said Tuesday that he may sue Powell. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Powell has justified the unchanged rates by citing the unknown effect of Trump's tariffs on inflation. The Fed's next meeting to discuss possible rate cuts is scheduled for Sept. 16. High interest rates have made it more expensive to finance home purchases and for businesses and consumers to take out loans, including to lease cars and reduce credit-card balances. Advertisement Trump and his team recently appeared to back away from allegations that Powell may have broken the law over the government building renovations, which could have provided a potential justification for termination. 4 Trump tours the building's construction site with Powell last month. REUTERS Congressional Republicans had suggested that Powell lied to a Senate committee — a crime punishable by five years in prison — by testifying that the building lacked various luxury features, insisting that plans had changed. Trump's budget chief, Russ Vought, then wrote to Powell last month pointing out an apparent Catch-22: that he may have violated the National Capital Planning Act by making unapproved changes to plans. Powell replied that he considered the changes minor enough that disclosure was not required. Trump, a billionaire real-estate developer, said he had no plans to fire Powell after touring the site on July 24 — attributing cost overruns to wasteful decisions including to retroactively build basements and parking spots beneath historic buildings just north of the National Mall. Trump has said he wants Powell to resign but that if he won't do so, he plans to empower a replacement when his term expires in May 2026 who will immediately move to lower interest rates by more than 2%.
Time Magazine
6 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Russia Makes Battlefield Advance Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit
Russian troops have advanced deeper into eastern Ukraine in a surprise attack ahead of upcoming ceasefire negotiations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian forces moved at least six miles deeper north into the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine by Tuesday, according to Reuters. The move by Russia appeared designed to give it leverage over Kyiv in any potential land swap agreements in the upcoming peace talks in Alaska this week. 'We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday. The Russian military appeared to be moving near Dobropillia, a coal mining town, and is launching efforts to approach Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk. Ukraine's military said on Tuesday that it had sent in reserves to block advances by small groups of Russian troops and was engaged in 'difficult' combat. Speaking last week ahead of his talks with Putin, Trump said that an eventual peace deal would likely include 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.' Putin has long called for Ukraine to give up territory captured by the Russian military in eastern Ukraine, including Crimea. Zelensky has fiercely rejected the idea of handing over Ukrainian territory to Russia, which is reportedly seeking to take over the eastern Donbas region and Crimea, the latter of which was illegally annexed by Russia more than a decade ago. 'Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,' Zelensky said in response to Trump's suggestion of land swaps. European leaders have stood firmly by the Ukrainian president, criticizing the Trump Administration for facilitating negotiations without the presence of Ukraine and for considering granting Putin's demand for more land. 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force,' a statement released on Saturday and signed by the leaders of France, Italy, the U.K., Germany, Poland, and Finland read. The White House is reportedly considering inviting Zelensky to the summit, though plans have not been finalized. The White House did not respond to TIME's request for comment about the matter on Monday. Trump vowed to help negotiate a peace deal between the Kremlin and Kyiv within the first 24 hours of his second presidential term, though he has faltered as Russian troops continue to launch strikes against Ukraine. Putin and Trump's Friday meeting in Alaska marks the first time the sitting presidents of Russia and the U.S. have met since 2021, and the first time these two in particular have met since 2019.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ben Wallace: Invite Britain to peace talks or Zelensky will be bullied
Britain must be invited to peace talks to stop Volodymyr Zelensky from being bullied by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Sir Ben Wallace has said. The former defence secretary said the Ukrainian president is a 'brave man' but would need support to push back against Mr Trump and the Russian president who are 'known to be bullies'. Mr Trump will reportedly hold talks with Putin as soon as next week, followed by trilateral talks with Mr Zelensky. European nations are not going to be included in the discussions. Sir Ben said a 'European power' should be 'in the room' to ensure Ukraine is not forced to accept an unsatisfactory deal. Asked if he believed there was a possibility that Ukraine could be 'strong-armed' by Mr Trump into agreeing to something it does not actually want to do, Sir Ben told Times Radio: 'Yes, there is a concern and I think that is why, there are two other nuclear powers in Nato, France and Britain, and I think it is important that in the room should be a European power. 'Because both Trump and Putin are known to be bullies, they bully people all the time, and I don't think two bullies versus Zelensky, who is a brave man, but I don't think would necessarily produce the right outcomes. 'If this is going to be a peace process, those people who have skin in the game, and that is Europeans as well as Ukraine and indeed the United States, should be part of that peace making process.' The announcement of talks has raised hopes that an end to the conflict could be in sight after more than three years of intense fighting. After speaking to the US president on the phone, Mr Zelensky said he believed Russia was 'now more inclined to a ceasefire'. Meanwhile, Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, said a summit could possibly take place next week at a venue that has been decided 'in principle'. He brushed aside the possibility of Mr Zelensky joining the summit, however. It came after Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's special envoy, met with the Russian president in Moscow for three hours. At the same time, Mr Trump intensified his pressure on Putin with fresh sanctions, declaring Russia to be an 'extraordinary threat' to the United States. Mr Trump hit India with a further 25 per cent trade tariff over its purchase of Russian oil, a vital source of income for the Kremlin. It was not clear how the announcement of the meeting would affect Mr Trump's Friday deadline for Russia to stop the killing or face its own economic sanctions. The meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when Joe Biden, the former US president, met Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone toward Mr Trump's effort to end the war, although there is no guarantee it would stop the fighting as Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides as well as more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of stalling for time in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. Putin previously offered no concessions, claiming he would only accept a settlement on his terms, which Ukraine has said would be tantamount to surrender. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
