As of: February 8, 2024, 1:54 p.m
By: Nail Akkoyun
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The “Hessen” leaves Wilhelmshaven with 240 soldiers on board.
Their mission: protect ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
The operation is delicate.
Wilhelmshaven – In order to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea against the Houthi militia, the German frigate “Hessen” has sailed for a planned EU military operation.
The warship with around 240 soldiers on board left the German Navy's largest base in Wilhelmshaven on Thursday morning.
By relocating the warship, the Bundeswehr wants to create the conditions for German participation in an EU mission.
An EU resolution and a mandate from the Bundestag are still pending - they are expected during February.
The “Hessen” is scheduled to arrive in the operational area by the end of the month.
The “Hessen” is equipped, among other things, with anti-aircraft missiles.
The 143 meter long ship was specially designed for escort and maritime control.
According to the Bundeswehr, it can use its special radar to monitor airspace the size of the entire North Sea.
The anti-aircraft missiles can therefore range more than 160 kilometers.
In addition to the regular crew and two helicopters, there are also other emergency services on board, including a team of doctors and a military chaplain.
The crew of the frigate “Hessen” leaving the harbor.
© Sina Schuldt/dpa
Frigate “Hessen” in the fight against Houthi rebels: Strack-Zimmermann is confident
The chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), described the use of the German frigate against the Houthi rebels as a difficult task.
“It’s a challenge, but a very important one,” said Strack-Zimmermann on Thursday on
ZDF
’s “Morgenmagazin”.
It is a dangerous operation.
“There’s no need to sugarcoat it.
“If it wasn’t dangerous or nothing was happening there, Europe wouldn’t be heading out,” she added.
It's about warding off possible incoming missiles.
“This frigate 'Hessen' can do that very, very well.” The soldiers are trained for this.
The frigate should also accompany container ships so that they can sail safely through the Red Sea.
The planned mandate is limited in time.
“We are assuming two months, but the mandate is currently being drawn up in this regard and in two weeks we can be even more precise,” said the FDP politician.
The Inspector of the German Navy, Jan Christian Kaack, also emphasized that, from the Bundeswehr's point of view, the crew of the frigate “Hessen” is excellently prepared for the dangers posed by an operation against the Houthi militia in the Red Sea.
“There is no unit in the German Navy that is better prepared, better trained and better equipped for this,” said Kaack.
He added: “This is the most serious deployment of a German naval unit in many decades.”
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EU planning is progressing: more warships are to be deployed in the Red Sea
The plans for the EU military operation to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea are also nearing completion.
As the
German Press Agency (dpa)
learned from the Council of Member States, the fundamental decision to set up “Operation Aspides” should ideally be made in writing this Thursday.
The subsequent necessary decision to start the operation would most likely be made at the next EU foreign ministers' meeting on February 19th.
According to the information, one of the final planning steps was to set up the operation's operational headquarters in the Greek city of Larisa and appoint a Greek admiral as commander.
The world
first
reported on this.
Plans for the EU mission include sending several European warships and airborne early warning systems to the region to protect cargo ships.
These are intended to protect merchant ships there from attacks by the militant Islamist Houthis from Yemen.
The militia wants to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling ships, which followed the massacre by the Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7th.
(nak/dpa)