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Commander NAVY Andreas Charalambides The rights and obligaons of every coastal state, according to the internaonal regulaons of Civil Aviaon and the arime Organizaons, have significantly increased in the past years. Therefore, the Republic of Cyprus is making every effort to improve the provided Search and Rescue services within her area of responsibility, increasing safety in the Eastern Mediterranean region. With the operaon of five main pillars (Operaons Center – “Cyprus Radio” Coastal Staon – Cyprus Mission Control Center – “ZENON” Crisis Coordinaon Center – SAR Training Center) under the unified JRCC Command, the effecve operaon of the Center with the minimum cost, personnel and response me is achieved. The enthusiasm and zeal of the JRCC personnel is driven by the scope for improvement, and at this point I would like to seize the opportunity to congratulate them expressing my deep appreciaon. We believe that with the adopon of new technologies and the development of a culture of professionalism, always with clear orientaon and constant improvement, we are in posion to provide high level SAR Services to our fellowman, within the Search and Rescue Region of Responsibility of the Republic, without any loss of human life.

History The Joint Rescue Coordinaon Center (JRCC) was established with the enactment of the Law 5 (III)/94 and began its inial operaon, on a 24/7 basis, in August 1995, as an independent Squadron of the Naonal Guard Air Force Command. Following the Council of Ministers decision, the JRCC officially undertook the full responsibility for the organizaon, coordinaon, and the supervision of the SAR operaons within the Nicosia FIR, in March 2002, relieving the Brish Forces from the above-menoned responsibility. The JRCC falls directly under the Minister of Defense and provides SAR services to persons in distress, as a result of a naval or air accident. The JRCC is in connuous cooperaon with the Shipping Deputy Ministry and the Civil Aviaon Department for Naval and Air incidents, and cooperates with the Ministry of Transport, Communicaon and Works, as the Cyprus’s representaves in Internaonal Organizaons IMO and ICAO, respecvely. Mission The primary mission of the JRCC is the organizaon of the SAR system of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to locate and rescue, in a mely manner, persons of which their life is in danger as a result of an aeronaucal or marime accident, within its area of responsibility, which coincides with the Nicosia FIR.

Stascs (unl 31/03/24) The charts below show the number of people rescued during the 1171 search and rescue operaons. Since 1995, a total of 7515 been rescued under the coordinaon of the JRCC. people have Personnel The Center is staffed by military personnel of the Naonal Guard, properly trained for SAR operaons. SAR Units According to the Legislaon of the Republic of Cyprus, the primary air units are the helicopters of the 460 SAR Squadron of the Naonal Guard Airforce Command, as well as the helicopters of the Cyprus Police Aviaon Unit (CPAU).

The primary naval units are the Coastal Patrol Boats of the Naonal Guard Navy Command and of the Port and Marine Police. As primary units are considered also the specialized personnel and means of the Ambulance Service of the State Health Services Organizaon, as well as the Disaster Response Special Unit (DRSU) of the Cyprus Fire Service. Several Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies, such as the Forestry Department's Aviaon Units, Civil Defence, the Fisheries Department's naval units, as well as vessels of private shipping companies are available in case of a serious marime or aeronaucal accident.

Training The training of the personnel is crucial and the proper training leads to efficiency. The JRCC, addionally to the training of its personnel, coordinates various training courses in cooperaon with the CPAU, 460 SAR Squadron, Civil Defence, and the State Health Services Organizaon, covering all SAR aspects. Such courses include HELO Dunker, Medical Evacuaon, training flights, Oil and Gas rigs evacuaons etc.

Mulnaonal Exercises In order to minimize the response me and the loss of human life, the JRCC conducts on a regular basis, exercises with naval and air units of European Union States, neighboring countries, as well as third countries that operate in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Center has conducted SAR exercises with Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The culminaon of the above-menoned exercises are the large-scale, mulnaonal SAR exercises “ARGONAUT” and “NEMESIS”, which are conducted on an annual basis. Internaonal Cooperaon A strategic goal of the Republic of Cyprus is the strengthening of the cooperaon with the neighboring countries and in this framework, we ensure the constant development of the cooperaon with the neighboring RCCs. The Republic of Cyprus has signed SAR agreements with the states of Israel, Syria, Greece, Egypt and Lebanon. The JRCC also cooperates with the United Naons naval forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), patrolling in an area poron of which covers part of Cyprus SRR.

Cospas – Sarsat Cyprus Mission Control Center (CYMCC) and SAR/Galileo Ground Satellite Staon (MEOLUT) In 2010, the Republic of Cyprus and the European Commiee reached an agreement for the establishment of one of the three SAR/Galileo Ground Satellite Staons (MEOLUTs) staoned in Cyprus, Norway and Spain. MEOLUT was established in 2012 in cooperaon with the European Space Agency (ESA) and according with the regulaons of Cospas – Sarsat. Furthermore, the Republic of Cyprus proceeded with the establishment of the Cyprus Mission Control Center (CYMCC) servicing Nicosia FIR. CYMCC is co-located with JRCC Larnaca and has been operaonal since September 2020. The development of MEOLUT and CYMCC, establishes Cyprus as an important hub of SAR services provision in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. CYMCC operates on a 24/7 basis, along with the Operaons Center of JRCC. Cyprus Ground Satellite Staon ‘MEOLUT ’

Cospas – Sarsat Operaon The principle of operaon of the system is depicted in the diagram below. The system consists of the satellites and the ground satellite staons receiving the alert messages, as well as the Mission Control Centers and the radio beacons. When a beacon is acvated, the transmied signal/message is relayed by the satellites back to Earth where is received by the ground satellite staons (Local User Terminals – LUT). The LUTs process the received data and forward the produced data, such as the locaon of the radio beacon, to the associated MCC. The MCC aer processing the data, forwards the final alert to the responsible RCC.

Development of Costal Surveillance System Our goal is the development of a complete coastal surveillance system. More specifically, the project includes long range (20 km) thermal cameras of, staoned at strategic locaons around the island. The system is completed by 3 mobile units, 4 thermal cameras on naval assets, as well as 2 UAVs, for air surveillance. The cameras contribute to the invesgaon of SAR incidents close to shore where, according to our stascs, most of the distress situaons occur, mainly considering refugees. The project was developed with European funds.

“ZENON” Coordinaon Center In 2016, the “ZENON” Coordinaon Center was established with main mission the handling of the increased migraon flow towards Europe, as well as its readiness to funcon as the Naonal and Internaonal Center for Humanitarian Operaons Coordinaon, including the Non-combatant Evacuaon Operaons (NEO) from a neighboring crisis region. The “ZENON” C.C. is capable to also funcon as the Crisis Coordinaon Center of the Republic, upon implementaon of a Special Naonal Plan of the Crisis Master Plan. The “ZENON” C.C. was fully acvated by the Ministry of Transport, Communicaons and Works in March 2020 and with the contribuon of other Ministries of the Republic, the repatriaon of 12000 people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, was successfully carried out, supporng the management of the health crisis, in general.

Coastal Staon “Cyprus Radio” On the 1st of July 2015, the JRCC officially undertook the responsibility to operate the “Cyprus Radio” Coastal Staon providing marime informaon, weather reports and communicaon (commercial ships to shore) within its area of responsibility. The “Cyprus Radio” operates on a 24/7 basis, along with the Operaons Center of JRCC. ISO Cerficaon Since April 2015, the SOPs of the JRCC are harmonized with the Internaonal Quality Standard ISO 9001:2015, while the Center is a member of the Internaonal Cerficaon Network “IQ Net”.

Search & Rescue Training Center With the creaon of the modern SAR Training Center, the important goal that was set by the Republic of Cyprus for the operaon of an internaonal and accredited SAR training center, supported by ICAO, to cover the lack of SAR cerfied courses in Europe was fulfilled, while also the training needs of the personnel involved in SAR operaons due to the migraon flows are covered. The main objecve of the Training Center is the provision of training courses to the SAR personnel of the SAR System of the Republic of Cyprus, but also to personnel of foreign countries that is involved in Massive Rescue Operaons, during which large number of agencies cooperate under harsh condions. The training rooms are equipped with modern systems and simulaon soware that create a realisc training environment offering more efficient training, as this is required by the training standards of IMO and ICAO. The newly built Training Center is equipped with interconnected audio and visual systems, simulang a realisc training experience for operaon coordinaon, providing radars, naval and air communicaon systems, alerng systems, SAR operaons planning systems, as well as databases, while custom designed cubicles, equipped with all the control and communicaon panels, simulate cockpits and bridges. The project was funded by the Internal Security Fund, managed by the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior.

Ulizaon of European Funds The JRCC, ulizing the absorpon of funds made available by the European Funds Unit, proceeded with the realizaon of projects which expanded the range of capabilies, invesng towards the Republic’s benefit, an overall of 18 million euros. Development of “Zenon” C.C. Development of C.S.S. Relocaon and Οperaon of JRCC Development of an alternave JRCC Operaons Center Purchase of SAR UAVs Purchase of Semi-inflatable Rescue Boats