The eight-day aeronautical exercise EUNOMIA 2025 aimed at promoting regional stability and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Eastern Mediterranean concluded on Wednesday in Cypriot waters.
The exercise involved the armed forces of Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy, including navy ships, fighter jets, helicopters, drones and a submarine. Drills focused on Naval-Air operations, Maritime Interdiction operations (approaching, boarding and searching a suspect vessel), Search and Rescue operations, Asymmetric Warfare, and Cyber exercises.
Board, search and seize exercises at sea
Scenarios were enacted in the marine and aerial space of the Eastern Mediterranean and on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. They included rescue winching operations by helicopter, Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) actions, anti-air and anti-submarine operations, tactical advance maneuvers and communications drills, low-level navigation flights, simulated target strikes by fighter aircraft, and surface firing.
This is the sixth consecutive year of the quadripartite exercise which seeks to improve interoperability and cooperation among the four participating navies. Cyprus and France were responsible for coordinating this year’s exercise, based on a rotational basis.
Cyprus’ first offshore patrol vessel in action
Cyprus participated through its first and only Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Commodore Andreas Ioannides. The €44 million, 62-metre OPV was built by Israeli Shipyards and brought into service in January 2018.
The OPV has the capacity to host up to 40 crew for four days at sea, with limited desalination capacity. With a maximum speed of 32 knots, the vessel boasts two 23mm ZU-23 guns, part of the Typhoon weapon system, two M2 Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns and one short-range SIMBAD twin launcher for anti-air defence.
Cyprus was also represented in the international exercise with its Fast Patrol Boats Georgiou and Tsomakis, air defense units, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an AW-139 helicopter of the National Guard.
France participated in EUNOMIA with its advanced multipurpose frigate Languedoc, completed in 2015, along with an NH90 Caiman helicopter. The 142-metre Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy has a maximum speed of 27 knots and hosts 155 crew members. The 10-deck frigate boasts, among other things, air defence systems, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, a powerful radar, and a towed sonar for anti-submarine warfare. It can handle threats from air, land and sea, in various shapes and sizes. Three members of the Cypriot Navy spent a number of days on the Languedoc as part of the joint exercise.
The Hellenic Armed Forces joined in the drills with their frigate Kanaris, the submarine Katsonis, and F-16 aircraft. From the Italian side, the corvette Bettica and a helicopter took part.
The final day of the exercise was observed on board the Languedoc, in the presence of Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas, along with diplomats and senior military representatives from Greece, Italy and France.
along with Greek and Italian naval forces
Interoperability, regional stability and maritime security
According to the National Guard, “The EUNOMIA exercise upgrades and strengthens the interoperability between Naval and Air forces at operational and tactical level and confirms the common will, intention, commitment and capability of the four countries to cooperate and coordinate joint actions, with the aim of maintaining regional stability and maritime security.”