File photo. [Chiang Ying-ying/AP]
Greece will transfer a Patriot battery to the island of Karpathos, in the southeastern Aegean Sea, on Tuesday as part of the country’s efforts to boost its defense against possible aerial attacks, a day after a drone hit a British airbase in Cyprus, state-run broadcaster ERT reported.
The move comes after Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced it was sending two frigates and four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus as security concerns escalate around the Mediterranean island.
Dendias visit Cyprus on Tuesday along with General Dimitrios Choupis, chief of the Armed Forces, for meetings with President Nikos Christodoulides and Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas to better coordinate the stance of the two allies.
A Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle hit Britain’s Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri just after midnight Monday, while more drone strikes targeting the base were successfully intercepted during the day.