I presume Larnaca is also more suitable for the charter aircraft being used. Of course the US may have
insisted asked the UK to avoid the risk of the passengers accidentally seeing the weather balloons.
Using the RM rather the regiment is logical IMHO because:
- the marines were available at Akrotiri, presumably from the same unit that performed the evacuation of diplomatic staff with 16 Air Assault and an unnamed unit based near the English/Welsh border.
- II Squadron RAF Regt (having recently taken over from 51 Squadron RAF Regt) have an important job to do at Akrotiri which given its location and the ongoing operations is undoubtedly on several lists of targets.
- the operation is more of 'aid to the civil power' one rather than an opposed extraction which would potentially justify flying Rocks out from the UK to defend aircraft ops.
- the airfield is under the control of the Sudanese government's forces who presumably would object to an overt takeover of their role.
-