MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. The Cyprus National Guard may become the first foreign operator of Israel’s Merkava main battle tanks after Nicosia declined to purchase used Leopard 1A5 tanks from Greece, the Phileleftheros newspaper reported.
According to the Cypriot daily newspaper Phileleftheros, which reported on the issue on August 10, 2026, Cypriot authorities are asking that Israel prepare a significant number of Mk3 or Mk4 Merkava main battle tanks for transfer to the island republic. Cyprus intends to use these tanks to replace its fleet of Russian-made T-80U tanks, the repair and maintenance of which have proven to be "extremely costly and inefficient" amid Western sanctions imposed on Russia.
Unofficial reports that Nicosia and Tel Aviv might conclude such a deal have been circulating in the media since 2023. At that time, Israel indicated for the first time that it was considering the possibility of selling its domestically developed main battle tanks to two countries, one of which was believed to be a European nation.
According to a number of experts, that country was Cyprus, which at the time was interested in the Merkava 3 tanks. However, in October 2023, Israel launched its military operation in the Gaza Strip, and the combat vehicles that could have been exported found another use.
Following this, Greece offered Cyprus between 75 and 90 used Leopard 1A5 tanks that had been mothballed in the country’s army warehouses. This summer, a military delegation from the Cyprus National Guard visited Greece to inspect these combat vehicles.
However, according to Phileleftheros, the delegation was not satisfied with their condition, and representatives of the island nation declined to purchase the Greek Leopards, even as a temporary replacement for the Russian T-80U tanks. According to other reports, these main battle tanks were intended to partially replace not the T-80U at all, but the aging Brazilian-made EE-9 Cascavel wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles. In any case, no agreement was reached.
In January of this year, the newspaper also reported that French Leclerc main battle tanks were being considered as one of the options for procurement. However, according to the publication, the cost of a single such tank is approximately 16-18 million euros ($18.5-20.9 million), to steep for Nicosia, even taking into account the loan provided to it under the European SAFE mechanism.
In contrast, Merkava tanks - especially older models such as the Mk2 or Mk3 - would cost the country $4-5 million per tank - more than three times cheaper than any European main battle tanks. Furthermore, Israel is geographically much closer to Cyprus than France, which will have a positive impact on transportation costs.
The Merkava 4 main battle tanks, which feature enhanced protection, survivability, and digital equipment, will cost between $6 million and $10 million per piece - depending on the terms and scope of ancillary services. However, according to the Army Recognition portal, even if an agreement is reached with Tel Aviv, Nicosia is unlikely to receive the most advanced versions of the tanks currently available.
According to Phileleftheros, even the Merkava 3 main battle tanks are comparable to European models in many respects and use the same 120-mm NATO-standard ammunition, which is currently easier for Cyprus to obtain than 125-mm shells for the T-80U. In addition,
Israeli tanks are highly adapted to operating in rugged terrain, which is also suits Cyprus.