US air force looks to upgrade Greek Cyprus airbase
NICOSIA
Experts from the U.S. Air Force are looking at ways to upgrade Greek Cyprus’ premier air base for use as a humanitarian staging post in future operations in the Middle East, a Greek Cypriot official has said.
Greek Cyprus has acted as a transit point for the repatriation of foreign nationals fleeing Hezbollah-Israel conflict in the Middle East. It has also served as a transit point for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Experts from the 435th Contingency Response Group based out of Ramstein, Germany, are set to spend the next few days at Andreas Papandreou Air Force Base to assess the upgrade needed to accommodate a wide array of U.S. air assets and other forces.
A key priority is to ensure air traffic safety in and around the base, which abuts the island's second-largest civilian airport, an official told the Associated Press.
Air traffic safety would need to be enhanced through new high-tech installations, including state-of-the-art radar, to ensure the independent operation of civilian and military aircraft at safe distances.
Other essential upgrades include expanding both the base itself and the runway to accommodate more transport and fighter aircraft. Hardened shelters to protect those air assets are also envisioned.
