On Tuesday, 18 March 2025, as part of the National Guard’s assumption of responsibility for managing aerial firefighting aircraft, a Tabletop Exercise was conducted in collaboration with the Fire Service, the Forestry Department, the Civil Defence Force, and the Ambulance Service at the Fire Service Headquarters.

The Exercise was attended by personnel from the aforementioned agencies, as well as personnel from the Operations Centre of the Aircraft Squadron of the Air Command of the National Guard General Staff, from its area of ​​operation.

According to a relevant announcement, the purpose of the Exercise was to test the procedures and Command-and-Control mechanisms of the Fire management system following the reorganisation of the aerial firefighting framework. 

Through the various scenarios examined, the coordination of forces, effective inter-agency cooperation, interoperability, and the implementation of a unified strategy—all of which play a decisive role in the successful execution of this critical mission—were assessed.

As part of the timely preparations for the upcoming firefighting season, the first two Air Tractor aircraft arrived the same day from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at Larnaca International Airport, implementing the provisions of the bilateral cooperation memorandum between the two countries. As in the previous year, these aircraft will contribute to the challenging task of combating wildfires.

The Chief of the National Guard Lieutenant General Tsitsikostas Georgios, visited the newly arrived personnel from Jordan and, after expressing his gratitude for their presence and their support in tackling forest fires, wished them a pleasant stay in Cyprus and every success in fulfilling their demanding and crucial mission.

At the same time, he reiterated that their presence in the Republic of Cyprus reflects the enhanced cooperation and excellent relations between the Armed Forces of both nations.

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