The Ministry of Defence is buying additional air raid warning sirens for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, capable of covering both the base and the neighbouring Akrotiri village, the department stated in a contract award notice.
The notice, identifier 2026/S 000-077006, was published on 13 August 2026 and records the award decision as taken the same day. The contract is worth £800,000 and runs for five years from 26 October 2026, with the earliest signature date given as 25 August.
According to the notice, the requirement exists to supplement sirens already installed at the base. The new system must produce distinct alert tones, covering an air raid or imminent threat and an all clear, and must carry both live and recorded voice announcement functionality. It has to be portable and able to work independently of any fixed infrastructure, which is what the title’s reference to rapid deployability means in practice.
The award covers supply, commissioning, documentation, training, warranty and through-life support. Two tenders were received under an open procedure, both from small and medium-sized enterprises, with one supplier successful.
The contract went to Acoustic Technologies, trading as ATI Systems, an American company based in Boston. Contracting was handled by British Forces Cyprus headquarters at Episkopi.
RAF Akrotiri sits within the Western Sovereign Base Area on the south coast of Cyprus and is the RAF’s permanent operating base in the eastern Mediterranean. It has supported British air operations across the region for decades, most recently as the launch point for Typhoon strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria under Operation Shader, and for the RAF sorties flown against Houthi targets in Yemen during 2024.
Its position roughly 100 miles from the Syrian coast and within reach of Lebanon, Israel and the wider Levant places it closer to regional conflicts than any other permanent British base. The Sovereign Base Areas are British territory retained under the 1960 treaty that granted Cyprus independence, and Akrotiri village lies inside the boundary, meaning the base authorities have a civilian population to warn as well as service personnel.
Well that resolves the problem.
It resolves A problem.. let’s not be facetious over everything.. an AE department needs bandages as well as access to CT scanners…
This base will test the mettle of the UK forces in Cyprus and is a fortuitous turn of events. What an opportunity to test new detection systems before rollout to other services. Sadly, this airbase is on Iran’s radar of likely retaliatory targets and the UK needs to be ready.
Always loved the sound of air raid sirens, reminds me of home. Growing up in Teesside I used to hear them weekly when the chemical works where testing them. Was always funny when friends from out of town came to visit and got freaked out.