Operation Aspides

Last updated
Operation Aspides
Part of Red Sea crisis, Spillover of the Israel–Hamas war
Logo EUNAVFOR OPERATION ASPIDES.png
Gulf of Aden map.png
Date19 February 2024 – present
(2 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Location
Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Yemen
Belligerents

Flag of Europe.svg  European Union

Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen (SPC)

Commanders and leaders

Flag of Europe.svg Josep Borrell
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Alexander De Croo
Flag of France.svg Emmanuel Macron
Flag of Germany.svg Olaf Scholz
Flag of Greece.svg Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Flag of Greece.svg Vasileios Gryparis [1]
Flag of Italy.svg Giorgia Meloni

Contents

Flag of Italy.svg Stefano Costantino [1]

Flag of Yemen.svg Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Flag of Yemen Armed Forces.svg Mohamed al-Atifi
Flag of Yemen Armed Forces.svg Mahdi al-Mashat

Flag of Yemen Armed Forces.svg Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour
Strength

1 Destroyer
1 Joint support ship
7 Frigates

Various aerial assets		 Flag of Yemen.svg Unclear (see Houthi armed strength)
Casualties and losses
Various drones

Operation Aspides, also known as EUNAVFOR Aspides, is a European Union (EU) military operation in response to the Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. [2] In contrast to the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, EU officials have underlined the "purely defensive" nature of EUNAVFOR Aspides. The purpose of the operation is to provide escort to merchant vessels in the area, defend against attacks and increase maritime surveillance in the region. The name of the operation comes from the Greek word for shields. [3]

Background

Since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, the Houthi movement has been attacking and hijacking ships passing through the Red Sea, claiming to be in response to the Israeli counter-attack in the Gaza Strip after the 7 October, Hamas attack on Israel. [4]

Since the beginning of the attacks, at least four EU country-flagged ships have been attacked by the Houthis. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Mission

On 8 February, EU member states took a decision in the Council of the European Union to start Operation Aspides which is to begin on 19 February and last one year, with its base of operations being in Greece and in charge of operations being a Hellenic Navy officer. [9] [10]

The purpose of the operation is, according the European External Action Service, to protect merchant vessels against attacks, to accompany them and to reinforce maritime situational awareness in the region. [11] It thus has a "purely defensive" mandate, something which has also been underlined by EU officials, in contrast to the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian. [12] The mission is instructed to coordinate closely with Operation Atalanta, another EU-led naval mission in the wider region. [1]

Force structure

The operational headquarters of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES is the Hellenic European Union Operational Headquarters (EL EU OHQ) in Larissa, Greece, led by the Operation Commander, Greek Commodore Vasileios Gryparis. [13] [1] The European External Action Service has indicated that 130 staff officers will be based in the operational headquarters. [11]

On 22 February, the Government of Sweden announced that Sweden will be sending some military personnel to participate in Operation Apsides. Sweden will initially send four staff officers with the possibility to increase the number to ten. [14] [15] On 8 March, Finland made a decision to participate in the operation by sending a maximum of five soldiers with staff duties, in addition to dispatching up to two soldiers with similar responsibilities to Operation Prosperity Guardian. [16] On 28 March, the government of Estonia announced that one member of the Estonian Defence Forces will participate in the operation. [17]

The Force Commander in the Red Sea is Italian Rear Admiral Stefano Costantino, based on the Italian destroyer Caio Duilio. [1] [18]

Ships participating in Operation Aspides
ShipNationalityClassNotesReference
Caio Duilio Naval Ensign of Italy.svg  Italian Navy Destroyer Operation Flagship [19]
Virginio Fasan Naval Ensign of Italy.svg  Italian Navy Frigate - [20]
Federico Martinengo Naval Ensign of Italy.svg  Italian Navy Frigate- [20]
Hessen Naval Ensign of Germany.svg  German Navy FrigateEmbarks 2 Sea Lynx Mk88A. Left the area of operations on 21 April 2024 after a successful deployment. [21] [22] [23] [24]
Louise-Marie Naval Ensign of Belgium.svg  Belgian Navy FrigateEmbarks an NH90. Scheduled to transit the Suez Canal on April 12, deployment indefinitely postponed due to failed operational and technical tests while transiting the Mediterranean Sea, including an incident where a RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile was reportedly "stuck" in its launch tube. On 27 April, the issues were resolved and Louise-Marie set course for the area of operations. [25] [22] [26] [27] [28]
Hydra Flag of Greece.svg  Hellenic Navy Frigate- [22] [18]
Languedoc Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg  French Navy Frigate- [29]
Alsace Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg  French Navy Frigate [30]
Tromp Naval Jack of the Netherlands.svg  Royal Netherlands Navy FrigateEmbarks an NH90. Was deployed under Operation Prosperity Guardian for 25 days from late March 2024 to late April 2024 while en-route to the Indo-Pacific, delivering "associated support" for Operation Aspides. [31] [32]
Karel Doorman Naval Jack of the Netherlands.svg  Royal Netherlands Navy Joint support ship To be deployed from May to August under operation Aspides, to deliver "associated support" for Operation Prosperity Guardian. [33] [34]

Timeline of events

On 27 February the German frigate Hessen engaged and destroyed two Houthi drones. [35]

On 2 March, the Greek frigate Hydra passed the Suez Canal to join the operation in the Red Sea. [18]

On the same day the Italian destroyer Caio Duilio shot down a Houthi missile over the Red Sea. The missile was within 4 miles (6.4 km) of the destroyer before it was shot down. [36] On 12 March, the Italian Ministry of Defense reported that the Caio Duilio had shot down two Houthi drones in self-defense. [37]

On 13 March, the Greek frigate Hydra shot down 2 Houthi drones. [38] [39]

On 12 Arpil, Belgian frigate Louise-Marie failed technical operational tests in the Mediterranean Sea while en-route to the area of operations, delaying her deployment indefinitely. Reportedly, one of the test failures included a case where a RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile reportedly got "stuck" in its launch tube. [40] [41]

On 20 March a French Navy helicopter deployed in the area of the Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea to fight against the Houthi rebels has shot down a drone, the first time this has happened. [42]

On 21 March a German Navy Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopter engaged and destroyed an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) when it approached a civilian convoy under tow. [23] On the same day, the French frigate Alsace shot down three Houthi ballistic missiles. [43]

As of 26 March the French had fired 22 Aster missiles. [44]

On 6 April the German frigate Hessen intercepted a missile launched from Houthi-controlled territory. [45]

On 25 April the Greek frigate Hydra fired shots at two drones as part of its mission in the Gulf of Aden. According to reports the incident occurred while the frigate was deployed to protect a merchant vessel in the maritime route. The Greek frigate reportedly shot at two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) using its 127mm cannon, where one drone was shot down, and the other altered course away from the merchant vessel. [46]

On 27 April, the issues affecting the deployment of Belgian frigate Louise-Marie were resolved, and the ship set course to the area of operations in the Red Sea. [28]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea: Council launches EUNAVFOR ASPIDES". www.consilium.europa.eu. Council of the European Union . Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Aspides mission officially established". Agence Europe. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  3. ↑ "Greece takes helm in EU naval mission in the Red Sea". hurriyetdailynews. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  4. ↑ Salhani, Justin (22 December 2023). "Beyond Gaza: How Yemen's Houthis gain from attacking Red Sea ships". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  5. ↑ Bray, Julian; Guerry, Yannick (2023-11-25). "Second Israeli-owned ship attacked by Iran-backed forces as shadow war intensifies". TradeWinds. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  6. ↑ Gambrell, Jon (2023-12-12). "A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels strikes a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea". AP News. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  7. ↑ Faucon, Benoit. "Iran-Backed Forces Widen Their Attacks on Commercial Shipping". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  8. ↑ "Empty Malta-flagged ship hit by missile off Yemen". CBC News. Thomson Reuters. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Uysal, Selin (16 February 2024). "The EU's New Red Sea Naval Mission: Implications and Challenges". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  10. ↑ Rose, Sunniva (2024-02-15). "EU's Aspides mission to the Red Sea will be based in Greece". The National. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  11. 1 2 "EUNAVFOR OPERATION ASPIDES". European External Action Service. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  12. ↑ Jones, Mared Gwyn (19 February 2024). "EU launches mission Aspides to protect Red Sea vessels from Houthi attacks". Euronews . Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  13. ↑ "EUROPEAN COUNCIL LAUNCHES "EUNAVFOR ASPIDES"". eleuohq.mil.gr. HELLENIC EUROPEAN UNION OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Nyheter, S. V. T. (2024-02-22). "Svensk militär ska skickas till Röda havet". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  15. ↑ Hjelmstrand, Johan (22 February 2024). "Svenska stabsofficerare skickas till Röda havet". Regeringskansliet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "President and Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discuss Finland's participation in Red Sea operations, issues related to Russia and Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine". Office of the President of the Republic of Finland. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  17. ↑ "Estonia participating in new EU military operation in Red Sea region". The Baltic Times . 28 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 Mitsopoulos, Dimitris (3 March 2024). "Greek frigate 'Hydra' enters Red Sea". Naval News. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Peruzzi, Luca (8 February 2024). "Italy's contribution to the nascent EU Operation Aspides". Naval News. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  20. 1 2 "Missione Aspides: Italia, Francia e Germania insieme per difendere le navi nel Mar Rosso dagli Houthi". INFODIFESA (in Italian). 2024-01-22.
  21. ↑ Siebold, Sabine (8 February 2024). "German air defence frigate leaves port to join EU Red Sea mission". Reuters . Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 Mergener, Hans-Ewe (2 February 2024). "EU comes closer to mounting maritime security mission in the Red Sea - European Security & Defence". euro-sd.com. European Security & Defence. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  23. 1 2 Newdick, Thomas (21 March 2024). "German Navy Helicopter Destroys Houthi Drone Boat". The War Zone. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Frigate "Hessen" has ended its mission in the Red Sea". Deutschland.de. Berlin: DPA. 21 April 2024. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Belgium sends warship to Red Sea". Politico . 19 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  26. ↑ Ruitenberg, Rudy. "Belgium postpones Red Sea deployment after frigate mishaps". DefenseNews. Paris. Retrieved 26 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ↑ Goossens, Kasper (13 April 2024). "Raket blijft steken; inzet Belgisch fregat Rode Zee uitgesteld". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  28. 1 2 Karreman, Jaime (29 April 2024). "Na lanceerproblemen is Belgisch fregat nu klaar voor Rode Zee". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  29. ↑ Lagneau, Laurent (2024-02-13). "Mer Rouge : Le commandement de l'opération navale européenne Aspides sera assuré par la Grèce". Zone Militaire (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  30. ↑ "La marine et l'aviation françaises interceptent des drones dans le golfe d'Aden | Mer et Marine". www.meretmarine.com (in French). 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  31. ↑ "Marine gaat bijdragen aan veiligheid en vrije doorvaart in de Rode Zee". Defensie.nl (in Dutch). Ministerie van Defensie. 8 March 2024. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  32. ↑ Karreman, Jaime (24 April 2024). "Zr.Ms. Tromp één keer naar 'gevechtswacht' in verband met mogelijke aanval". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  33. ↑ "Marineschip naar Rode Zee voor bevoorrading en medische zorg". Defensie.nl (in Dutch). Ministerie van Defensie. 5 April 2024. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  34. ↑ Karreman, Jaime (5 April 2024). "Kabinet: ook Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman naar Rode Zee". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  35. ↑ "Rotes Meer: Fregatte »Hessen« wehrt ersten Huthi-Angriff ab". spiegel.de (in German). Der Spiegel. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  36. ↑ Wintour, Patrick (3 March 2024). "Italian warship forced to shoot down Houthi missile in Red Sea". The Observer .
  37. ↑ "La nave Duilio abbatte due droni nel mar Rosso". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 2024-03-12. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024.
  38. ↑ "Houthis fire at American ship as Greek frigate shoots down drones". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  39. ↑ "Greek Navy's Hydra class frigate Hydra shoots down 2 Houthi drones". Navy Naval News Navy Recognition. 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  40. ↑ Ruitenberg, Rudy. "Belgium postpones Red Sea deployment after frigate mishaps". DefenseNews. Paris. Retrieved 26 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  41. ↑ Goossens, Kasper (13 April 2024). "Raket blijft steken; inzet Belgisch fregat Rode Zee uitgesteld". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  42. ↑ "Un helicóptero Panther de la Marina francesa derriba por primera vez un dron de los rebeldes hutíes". 20 March 2024.
  43. ↑ Vavasseur, Xavier (2024-03-21). "French Navy Air Defense FREMM Intercepts 3 Ballistic Missiles". Naval News.
  44. ↑ "Economie de guerre : En coulisses, le fabricant du canon Caesar a mis les bouchées doubles". 26 March 2024.
  45. ↑ "German military vessel intercepts Houthi missile in Red Sea". Reuters. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  46. ↑ Ioannidis, Stavros (25 April 2024). "Greek frigate targets two UVAs in Gulf of Aden, downs one". Ekathimerini. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
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