UK Sovereign Base Areas (red)

British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British armed forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus. The United Kingdom retains a military presence on the island in order to keep a strategic location at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, for use as a staging point for forces sent to locations in the Middle East and Asia. BFC is a tri-service command, with all three services based on the island reporting to it. At present, there are approximately 3,500 personnel serving in Cyprus. Image File history File links Map of Cyprus with WSBA and ESBA in red. ... Image File history File links Map of Cyprus with WSBA and ESBA in red. ... The UK Sovereign Base Areas are those British military base areas located in countries formerly ruled by the United Kingdom which were retained by it and not handed over when those countries attained independence. ... Location within Cyprus Official language English Capital Episkopi Cantonment Administrator Peter Pearson Area 254 sq km (98 sq. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

Within British Forces Cyprus are a number of permanently based units; however, the large proportion of British forces in Cyprus are on operational tours:

• Permanent Units
  • 62 (Cyprus) Support Squadron, Royal Engineers
  • Joint Service Signal Unit (Cyprus)
  • Cyprus Communications Unit, Royal Signals
  • 16 Flight, Army Air Corps
  • Cyprus Service Support Unit
  • No 84 Squadron, RAF
  • Resident infantry battalions - two light role infantry battalions, one at Dhekelia and one at Episkopi, are permanently based on the island; the battalions are usually rotated every two years.
  • The Royal Navy Cyprus Squadron - Two P2000 class patrol ships HMS Pursuer (P273) and HMS Dasher (P280).

One of the roles of the support units is to assist as needed the British unit assigned to UNFICYP (United Nations Forces In Cyprus); this unit is not assigned to BFC, but is under the direct command of the United Nations. The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ... The Royal Corps of Signals (sometimes referred to incorrectly as the Royal Signal Corps and often known simply as the Royal Signals, R Signals or R Sigs) is one of the arms (combat support corps) of the British Army. ... The Army Air Corps is a vital component of the British Army. ... No. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... Part of the Royal Navy Cyprus Squadron (RNCS), formed in February 2003 in support of Operation Telic, the US led invasion of Iraq. ... The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

In the ITV series Soldier Soldier, the 1st Battalion, King's Own Fusiliers served for a period as a resident infantry battalion in Cyprus. ITVs Logo 2006—present Independent Television (ITV) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up to provide competition to the BBC. In England and Wales, the channel has been rebranded to ITV1 by ITV plc, the owners of the broadcasting licences for... Soldier Soldier was a British television drama series. ... Official name The Kings Own Fusiliers Colonel-in-Chief Colonel Nicknames Motto Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense Anniversaries Marches Description Infantry regiment (fictional) Creation date 1994 Reason for creation Formed by the amalgamation of two regiments due to the Options for Change defence cuts The Kings Own...

External links

• British Army website
• Dhekelia Garrison website
• Permanent Joint HQ Overseas Bases Cyprus