Israel and Cyprus signed an agreement on Monday, October 26, for a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for the Cyprus Naval Command and for systems upgrades aboard the service's existing OPV Commodore Andreas Ioannides.
The new ship will be built by Israel Shipyards and fitted with Rafael naval systems. Commodore Andreas Ioannides was also built by Israel Shipyards.
"The new OPV, alongside the upgraded OPV Ioannides, will support expanded patrol, surveillance, and search-and-rescue missions," the Israeli ministry said
Israeli business daily Globes reported a value of €150 million for the package. Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported earlier that the new ship would be a second Saar 62-class vessel and that delivery was expected by mid-2028 at the latest.
Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas had confirmed the purchase on October 23, saying it would give the navy two such vessels.
The 62-metre Commodore Andreas Ioannides was launched in Haifa Bay in September 2017 and commissioned in January 2018. It displaces 430 tons, has a maximum speed of 32 knots, and carries two Rafael Typhoon weapon stations.
