MOD secures £500,000 portable air raid siren to enhance protection of RAF Akrotiri
The UK has made a deal to buy a new air raid warning siren for RAF Akrotiri and the nearby village.
A need for "distinctive alerts and tones" to signal "imminent threat and all-clear" and a "live and recorded voice announcement functionality" were outlined in the contract notice.
The contract worth more than £552,000 was signed after a month-long tender process.
The new portable warning system, which includes microphones and loudspeakers, will strengthen air raid sirens already in use at the British base in Cyprus.
"There is a need to supplement the Air Raid Warning Sirens that are currently in place at RAF Akrotiri," detailed the MOD notice.
"The requirement is for Air Raid Warning Sirens that can cover the distance of RAF Akrotiri and Akrotiri Village for community warning."
RAF Akrotiri used its air raid sirens earlier this year when the airbase was attacked with an Iranian-made drone on 2 March.
Civilian and non-essential staff were evacuated from the airbase for weeks afterward.
Around 3,500 personnel and their families live at the overseas airbase.
US company Acoustic Technologies, based in Boston, Massachusetts, won the contract to provide the warning system, which was procured by British Forces Cyprus HQ, Episkopi.
The five-year contract includes the "supply, commissioning, documentation, training, warranty, and through-life support activities required to deliver and sustain the capability".
It adds that the system must be "portable and operate independent of any fixed infrastructure installations".
The contract outlines the agreement as lasting five years starting from 5 October 2026 until 4 October 2031.
Schedule documents include conditions that Russian and Belarusian products or services must be excluded, and the MOD should be notified if they are discovered.
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