After the Agenor and Atalante missions, here came “Aspides”, “protective shield” in ancient Greek.
European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels officially launched this Monday a mission to protect maritime traffic in the Red Sea, disrupted by attacks by Houthi rebels.
Many commercial carriers diverted their ships following these attacks.
“Europe will guarantee freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, in collaboration with its international partners.
Beyond the response to the crisis, it is a step towards a stronger European presence at sea to protect our European interests”, welcomed on X (ex-Twitter) the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
I welcome today's decision to launch the EU Naval Force Operation Aspides.
Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our international partners.
Beyond crisis response, it's a step towards a stronger European presence at sea to protect our…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 19, 2024
Several countries have expressed their intention to participate in this shield, including Belgium, Germany - if it has the green light from its Parliament - France, and Italy which will ensure operational command, under the aegis of Greece.
Spain will not participate.
The mission is planned to last one year, possibly renewable.
Fire to defend merchant ships or defend yourself
It will take “a few weeks”, according to a European diplomat, for the force to be operational.
The German frigate “Hessen” left on February 8 for the Red Sea, with a crew of around 240 people.
It will be in a state of permanent alert and will be able to respond to possible attacks with remotely controlled missiles, drones and “kamikaze boats”.
Belgium has announced its intention to send its frigate “Marie-Louise”.
France has said it is ready to make one of its frigates already present in the Red Sea available to the Aspides mission.
The Twenty-Seven agreed in January on the principle of a maritime surveillance and patrol mission in the Red Sea, provided however that its mandate is purely defensive.
It will be able to fire to defend merchant ships or defend itself, but will not be able to target objectives on land against rebel positions, according to diplomats.
This position differs from that of the United States and Great Britain, which have targeted ground positions of the Iranian-backed militia.
Also read: Hezbollah, Houthis, Shiite militias… these pro-Iran groups blowing up the embers in the Middle East
This Monday, the Houthis said they had struck a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, the Rubymar, "with naval missiles", according to a statement from Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Maritime security company Ambrey reported the attack on a “Belize-flagged, UK-registered, Lebanese-operated bulk carrier” in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden .
The ship was heading north from the United Arab Emirates and had its final destination in the Bulgarian city of Varna.
The UKMTO maritime security agency, run by the British navy, said a ship 65km from the Yemeni port of Mokha had reported "an explosion nearby which caused damage".
She later clarified that the crew had evacuated, safe and sound.
The Houthis also said they shot down an American MQ-9 plane, a claim to which Washington has not yet responded.
Furthermore, according to Ambrey and UKMTO, an American bulk carrier flying the Greek flag suffered a “missile attack” before another projectile hit the water 10-15 meters from the ship.
No injuries were reported, and the ship continued its route towards Aden.
This attack has not yet been claimed.