A formerly top secret UK report shows Britain’s territory on Cyprus formed a key part of NATO’s surveillance and nuclear capabilities in the Mediterranean during the Cold War, despite knowing this was “not consistent” with the island’s non-aligned stance.
by Matt Kennard
by Matt Kennard
Part 3 - ‘Cyprus enhances the NATO position’
Independent Cyprus’s first president, Archbishop Makarios, was prominent supporter of Non-Aligned Movement during Cold War
But British territories on Cyprus were “of great strategic importance” to NATO
Top secret map shows UK ran “NATO communications station” in Cyprus outside of British base areas
Covert surveillance operations were carried out from British Cyprus “on behalf of NATO”
Targets for Cyprus-based nuclear-capable Vulcan bomber squadrons were coordinated with NATO
UK planners cautioned “it is important to avoid drawing attention to the NATO implications of military activities” on British Cyprus
The value of Cyprus to NATO’s capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa was not in doubt.
The report noted that “the UK military presence in Cyprus enhances the NATO position in the Eastern Mediterranean particularly by…providing intelligence gathering and surveillance facilities which contribute to US and NATO assessment agencies.”
A map of UK sites and installations in Cyprus in the report identified Cape Greco, a headland east of the UK’s Eastern SBA, Dhekelia, as a “NATO Communications station”.
This station was in Cyprus proper, outside of the SBAs and other “retained sites”. It is likely the government of Cyprus did not know about it.
“Cyprus provides a most valuable facility to maintain surveillance coverage of the Eastern Mediterranean,” the report continued. “Many of these operations are on behalf of NATO, others are for national or for US/UK purposes, and by their very nature can be carried out from Cyprus without offending Cypriot sensitivities.”
The report noted that “the UK military presence in Cyprus enhances the NATO position in the Eastern Mediterranean particularly by…providing intelligence gathering and surveillance facilities which contribute to US and NATO assessment agencies.”
A map of UK sites and installations in Cyprus in the report identified Cape Greco, a headland east of the UK’s Eastern SBA, Dhekelia, as a “NATO Communications station”.
This station was in Cyprus proper, outside of the SBAs and other “retained sites”. It is likely the government of Cyprus did not know about it.
“Cyprus provides a most valuable facility to maintain surveillance coverage of the Eastern Mediterranean,” the report continued. “Many of these operations are on behalf of NATO, others are for national or for US/UK purposes, and by their very nature can be carried out from Cyprus without offending Cypriot sensitivities.”
Thus “Cypriot sensitivities” were not offended since these activities could be undertaken from UK land. “There are great advantages in being able to carry out covert surveillance from UK sovereign territory,” the report noted.
The military aircraft positioned at RAF Akrotiri, the huge air base on the SBAs which remains a key hub for UK operations, were also a boon for NATO.
“In particular the ground radars and lightning interceptor fighters of the air defence system make a valuable contribution to NATO,” it continued. “The radars are linked to the NATO network thereby effectively extending NATO’s early warning coverage and interception capability.”
They comprised, the report noted, “a valuable extension of NATO’s air defence system”.
The military aircraft positioned at RAF Akrotiri, the huge air base on the SBAs which remains a key hub for UK operations, were also a boon for NATO.
“In particular the ground radars and lightning interceptor fighters of the air defence system make a valuable contribution to NATO,” it continued. “The radars are linked to the NATO network thereby effectively extending NATO’s early warning coverage and interception capability.”
They comprised, the report noted, “a valuable extension of NATO’s air defence system”.
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