Greek frigates Kimon and Psara to be replaced by next week

Greek frigates deployed to Cyprus are set to be replaced in the coming days as Athens intends to maintain a sustained military presence in the Levant.

According to reports by Alpha Greece and defence outlet OnAlert, the frigates Kimon and Psara, will hand over to new vessels within the next week, with the lead frigate of her class, the Elli, expected to take over and the possible reinforcement of a missile-equipped unit.

The Elli was commissioned by the Hellenic Navy in 1982, having last seen action in the Gulf war from 1990–91 and was modernised with the Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile system in 2009.

Defence minister Nikos Dendias has made clear that Greek forces will remain in Cyprus “for as long as necessary”, with their presence to be continuously assessed in line with developments in the Middle East.

The naval rotation follows a similar pattern in air deployments with the initial four F-16 fighter jets, originally deployed from Souda to the Andreas Papandreou air base in Paphos, having already been replaced by aircraft and personnel from Araxos and Larissa.

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had described the dispatch of Kimon as the deployment of the “pride of the Greek fleet”, stating that Greece was “present with strength where national duty calls”.

Defence minister Vasilis Palmas said the arrival of the frigates and fighter jets created a “protective umbrella” over the island at a time of increased tension, adding that the response from Athens had been both “immediate and decisive”.

The replacement of the Kimon and Psara with other warships is not interpreted as a drawdown but rather to allow Greece to maintain a continuous naval footprint in the Levant.

Greek ambassador to Cyprus, Konstantinos Kollias, said that Greece “has stood and will stand unwaveringly by the side of the Republic of Cyprus”, adding that support would continue “together with partners, but also alone if necessary”.

Palmas said discussions with Dendias also covered the potential acquisition of the Centauros defence system, as well as the possibility of Cyprus and Greece playing an expanded humanitarian and stabilising role in the region.