The Cyprus Center for Land Open Seas and Port Security, CYCLOPS for short, contributes not only to securing the host country but also its neighbors and beyond, a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory official said.
In a feature article on PNNL’s footprint on world security posted on the lab’s website, James Spracklen, principal advisor at PNNL’s National Security Directorate, noted that CYCLOPS provides a strategic location for many countries to participate in wide-ranging security training activities.
According to Spracklen, the center’s coverage extends past its borders to the European Union and the Eastern Mediterranean region, enabling the lab and other training organizations to draw audiences that are otherwise difficult to reach. Training sessions that are hosted at the center covers chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives and border security.
Located in the port city of Larnaca, CYCLOPS was inaugurated in April 2022, built with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security program.
PNNL technical experts, including chemists and biologists, were among the center’s design consultants, with PNNL managing the construction. The Republic of Cyprus maintains ownership of the facility.