The Greek frigate the Elli has taken part in a joint training exercise with the Cypriot National Guard off the coast of Cyprus, the National Guard said on Tuesday.

The frigate was joined in the exercise by the Cypriot offshore patrol vessel the Ioannides, the Cypriot coastal patrol vessels the Tsomakis, the Ammochostos, and the Georgiou.

The Greek special operations craft the Panagos and the Agathos and a Greek AW139 search and rescue helicopter also took part in the exercise.

“During the joint training, communications, asymmetric threats, advanced manoeuvres, and helicopter training exercises were carried out,” the National Guard said, adding that “the joint training contributed to the promotion of the level of operational readiness and combat capability”.

It added that the exercise also served to boost “the interoperability of the participants”.

The Elli has been stationed in the waters off the coast of Cyprus, having been sent to replace the Kimon, which was sent to the island’s waters after the British Akrotiri air force base, near Limassol, was hit by an Iranian-made drone in March.

Like the Kimon, the Elli Is armed with Greece’s Centauros anti-drone system, which works by jamming signals and thus disorientating drones.

The Centauros system has the capacity to detect drones at a distance of up to 150 kilometres.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had during a visit to Cyprus in March described the Kimon as the “pride of the Greek fleet”, with the ship having only entered service at the end of last year.

The Elli is somewhat older, having been commissioned in 1982.