Greece deployed on Wednesday morning, a battery of MIM-104 Patriot missiles to the island of Karpathos, reinforcing the country’s air-defense network amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The move comes after recent developments in the region, including two reported Iranian drone attacks near a British military base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
According to reports, military vehicles carrying components of the Patriot air-defense system traveled across Karpathos under heightened security, heading to preselected installation sites. The system arrived on the island after a Hellenic Navy landing ship docked at the port of Pigadia Port earlier in the day.
Strategic location in the eastern Mediterranean
Military sources say Karpathos was chosen because of its strategic position in the eastern Mediterranean. From the island, the system can monitor a wider airspace area, including parts of the skies over Cyprus.
Officials believe the deployment strengthens Greece’s air-defense “umbrella” at a time of increased regional instability.
Wider military presence
The Patriot deployment forms part of a broader set of military measures taken by Athens as it closely monitors security developments in the region.
Greece has already stationed four F-16 Fighting Falcon jets in Cyprus, while the Greek frigates Kimon and Psara are also operating in the area.
Meanwhile, the Greek frigates Kimon and Psara have also arrived in the Cypriot port of Paphos, further reinforcing Greece’s military presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
