British Forces Cyprus
From Freepedia
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.
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.
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.
In the ITV series Soldier Soldier, the 1st Battalion, King's Own Fusiliers served for a period as a resident infantry battalion in Cyprus.
