Cypriot National Guard Operation Niki (Greek: Επιχείρηση Νίκη), named after the goddess Nike, was a clandestine airlift operation during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that was carried out on 21–22 July 1974, with the aim of transporting a battalion of Greek commandos from Souda, Crete to Nicosia, Cyprus.

[3] Eventually, on 15 July 1974, a military coup d'état orchestrated by the Cypriot National Guard and the junta of Athens succeeded in deposing Makarios and replacing him with nationalist Nikos Sampson.

An initial plan to airlift a battalion based in northern Greece from Thessaloniki airport using requisitioned Boeing 720 aircraft of Olympic Airways was cancelled.

[5][6] Later, it was decided to airlift another unit from Souda airport, using almost the entire transport fleet of the Hellenic Air Force at the time.

Thus, in the late afternoon of July 21, a fleet of 20 Noratlas and 10 C-47 aircraft were relocated to Souda airport, base of the 115th Combat Wing [el].

To avoid detection, they would fly at altitudes below 200 ft in full radio silence with minimum lights and no visual contact between them.

[15] As a result, the 4th Noratlas (Niki-4) received heavy fire and was shot down two miles short of the runway with the loss of four crew and 27 commandos.

With the exception of the order to Lt Cdr E. Handrinos to turn back his vessel (L-172 Lesvos) and disembark the ELDYK troops he had picked up the previous day, Operation Niki marked the only materialized Greek attempt to reinforce the defense of Cyprus during the invasion.

[17] The remains of Niki-4 and the bodies of most of the men it carried were hastily buried on a hill, which is now a military cemetery and war memorial known as Makedonitissa Tomb.

[18] After 14 months, DNA identification of those on board was completed and the remains of 16 Greek soldiers were handed over to their relatives in early October, 2016, 42 years after their death.