The Royal Air Force's new Puma helicopters formally replaced Griffin models in Cyprus in a "historic" handover.

These aerial images, showing the Puma in green and the Griffin in grey, capture the scene at Royal Air Force Akrotiri on the island

Wing Commander Sam Fletcher, Officer Commanding, 33 Squadron, said the Griffin is a "supremely capable aircraft", but the Puma is "just a little bit bigger, it can go further and it can go faster".

The Puma HC Mk2 will perform emergency response, firefighting and military support functions in Cyprus but can also be used in a variety of combat roles, including the tactical movement of troops and weapons on the battlefield, as well as the extraction of casualties.

The aircraft can carry 16 passengers, 12 fully equipped troops or up to two tonnes of cargo. It is also employed during humanitarian and disaster relief operations.