France, Cyprus Launch Joint Amphibious Drill as Eastern Mediterranean Deployments Grow
By Bosphorus News Defense Desk
France and Cyprus launched a joint amphibious exercise on March 23, adding a new operational step to Paris’ growing military role around the island.
The drill brought French and Greek Cypriot units together in a coordinated coastal operation while the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle remained on mission in the Eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus-based reporting, citing the French army, said the activity was framed as technical training between sailors and soldiers from both countries, with a focus on cooperation and the ability to operate together.
The timing was not incidental. France has already placed Cyprus at the centre of its wider regional security posture. In an official statement published by the Élysée on March 9, French President Emmanuel Macron said his visit to Cyprus was meant to show France’s solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus after the recent drone and missile attacks, strengthen security around the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean, and support de-escalation efforts.
The same French readout made clear that the Charles de Gaulle carrier group was part of that posture. Macron said the carrier had been positioned near Cyprus as part of France’s response to the crisis and linked the deployment to the protection of French citizens, support for partners and maritime security.
Paris and Nicosia had already reinforced their bilateral defence track before the latest exercise. France’s embassy in Cyprus said on January 28 that the two sides had signed their 2026 bilateral cooperation programme, setting a new annual framework for military coordination. That matters here because it places the March 23 drill inside an existing defence relationship rather than presenting it as a one-off military gesture.
The exercise also comes as the waters around Cyprus grow more crowded. Anadolu Agency reported on March 25 that the United Kingdom and several European Union member states had begun new deployments to the Eastern Mediterranean and the area around Cyprus, including naval, air and air defence assets. The report said Britain, Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands had all moved capabilities into the theatre.
The broader buildup gives the French-Cypriot drill extra weight. France is no longer signalling support for Cyprus only through presidential visits or a carrier group offshore. The relationship is now visible in joint activity on and around the island itself.
The exercise adds another layer to a defence partnership that has become more concrete in recent months. It also shows how Cyprus is becoming a more active point of military coordination as pressure builds across the Eastern Mediterranean.