Israel to Supply Cyprus With a New Offshore Patrol Vessel: What Is Confirmed and What Is Not
In short: On 26 October 2026 the defence ministries of Israel and the Republic of Cyprus signed an agreement in Nicosia for a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) built by Israel Shipyards and fitted with Rafael naval systems. The same package upgrades the systems on Cyprus’s existing OPV, the Israel Shipyards-built Commodore Andreas Ioannides (P61). The price, delivery date and exact Rafael equipment were not published. The official term is offshore patrol vessel: the Israeli Ministry of Defense statement, as carried by i24NEWS, Globes and Defence Industry Europe, describes the ship in that class, not as a heavily armed warship.
Last updated: 29 October 2026
What the Israeli ministry said
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense statement carried by Globes and i24NEWS, the deal was signed by director general Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram and Stelios Kountouris, acting permanent secretary of the Cypriot Ministry of Defence. Israel’s SIBAT export directorate and Cyprus’s Armaments and Defence Capabilities Development Directorate led it. Israel Shipyards CEO Eitan Zucker and Ran Tavor, who heads Rafael’s naval systems directorate, attended.
The ministry says the new vessel and the upgraded Ioannides will support wider patrol, surveillance and search-and-rescue work, and that the two countries reaffirm a commitment to regional stability. It named no value, schedule or weapons (Defence Industry Europe).
Reported but unconfirmed
- Value: €150 million, according to Globes and a Cyprus Mail report of 20 October. Neither ministry has confirmed it. It is a package figure, so dividing it by one hull would be misleading.
- Delivery: Reports citing Cyprus Mail point to 2028. Envanter Medya reported, citing the Cypriot daily Phileleftheros, a second Sa’ar 62-class ship due by mid-2028 at the latest.
- Weapons: Cypriot media have speculated about a naval version of Rafael’s Spike NLOS for the Ioannides. Breaking Defense also lists the Typhoon gun and naval C-Dome, used on Israel’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes, as possible options. None is confirmed.
The ship and its maker
Israel Shipyards is a Haifa-based private yard. The Ioannides is its 62-metre OPV, a design derived from the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 4.5 boats, with a top speed around 32 knots and a crew of about 35, according to Wikipedia’s class page. Published displacement and range figures differ between sources (430 to 500 tonnes appears), so no single number is given here.
Cyprus ordered the ship in late 2015, it was launched in September 2017 and commissioned in January 2018 at the Evangelos Florakis naval base near Larnaca. Other operators of the type include Azerbaijan’s coast guard, Equatorial Guinea and Honduras. Details of the Cyprus-Israel deal’s first phase are in our earlier report on the signing.
Cyprus’s navy today
The Cyprus Naval Command is a small force. Wikipedia’s fleet table counts ten units: six patrol boats, two attack craft and two speedboats, though some rows are unclear. The Ioannides is its offshore patrol vessel in service since 2018, and the new ship would add to that capacity. On land, Breaking Defense says the National Guard fields Rafael’s Spike LR2 and IAI’s Barak MX.
Regional balance
The deal followed days after Libya’s parliament endorsed a maritime delimitation memorandum with Türkiye, which Israel, Greece and Cyprus opposed (Breaking Defense). Türkiye does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus as representing the whole island, and maritime zones and offshore hydrocarbons remain disputed. A 62-metre, lightly armed patrol ship does not by itself change the naval balance; its significance is more about surveillance and presence in Cyprus’s claimed exclusive economic zone.
Turkish fleet for scale
The nearest Turkish equivalents are far larger, as the table from Wikipedia class pages shows. It is a scale comparison, not a like-for-like one.
| Ship / class | Length | Displacement | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ioannides (OPV 62), Cyprus | 62 m | about 430-500 t | In service since 2018; second ship ordered |
| Hisar-class OPV, Türkiye | 99.56 m | 2,300 t | TCG Koçhisar commissioned 20 June 2026 |
| Ada-class corvette (MILGEM), Türkiye | 99.56 m | 2,400 t | Four ships delivered 2011-2019 |
The Hisar class carries a 76 mm gun, Gökdeniz close-in weapon, ATMACA anti-ship and HİSAR-D air-defence missiles, and has also been exported to Romania. MILGEM is a programme coordinated by Türkiye’s Defence Industry Agency (SSB), with Ada-derived exports to Pakistan, Ukraine and Malaysia. Local content is not total: the Ada class uses a German Renk drive train and US-origin systems such as Harpoon and RAM alongside domestic ATMACA. For background see our piece on the Rafael-fitted patrol vessel.
FAQ
Is Israel selling Cyprus a warship?
The official term is offshore patrol vessel, for patrol, surveillance and search-and-rescue. Weapons have not been disclosed.
How much is the deal worth?
No official value. €150 million is a press figure from Globes and Cyprus Mail.
When will the new ship arrive?
No official date. Cypriot press reports point to 2028.
Sources
- Globes: Israel’s Defense Ministry signs €150m Cyprus naval deal
- i24NEWS: Israel to supply Cyprus with a new offshore patrol vessel
- Breaking Defense: Cyprus to acquire new offshore patrol vessel
- Defence Industry Europe: Cyprus signs agreement with Israel
- Wikipedia: Sa’ar 62-class OPV, Cyprus Navy, Hisar-class OPV, Ada-class corvette
