As of: March 2, 2024, 7:03 p.m
By: Helmi Krappitz
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The frigate “Hessen” is already in action against the Houthi attacks – with initial successes.
But there is probably a lack of supplies and there is a threat of a shortage of ammunition.
Berlin – In order to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi rebels, the frigate “Hessen” is deployed in the region.
The German Navy shot down two enemy drones on Tuesday (February 27).
But there is one concern: the frigate may be at risk of an ammunition problem.
Operation against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea: Frigate “Hessen” is threatened with a lack of ammunition – “Big concerns”
At a meeting in January, doubts arose as to whether the frigate was fully operational,
NDR
reported .
“Unfortunately, we are not yet where we need to be in the area of ammunition procurement,” said Marine Inspector Jan Christian Kaack.
“Just looking at the current ammunition consumption of our partners in Operation Prosperity Guardian, I am very concerned about the endurance of our units – and when it comes to the activities in the Red Sea, we are not yet talking about national defense or alliance defense.”
The frigate has different types of missiles - all of them are said to be lacking ammunition.
© picture alliance/dpa |
Sina Schuldt
Operation Prosperity Guardian is the US counterpart to the EU mission Aspides in the Red Sea.
After the Houthi drones were shot down, he reiterated that there was enough ammunition for the operation.
“We will replenish ammunition as soon as possible,” Kaack told the
German Press Agency (dpa).
Frigate “Hessen” in the Red Sea: No supplies for use against Houthi rebels – “Limited number”
Other naval officers confirmed the statement about the lack of ammunition, according to
NDR
.
The frigate “Hessen” sailed into the Red Sea fully equipped with, among other things, three different types of rockets on board for use against the Houthi rebels.
The problem: Once the ammunition has been used up, there will only be minimal supplies of one type and no supplies at all from German stocks for the other two.
The goal is not to stay in the Red Sea forever and constantly re-equip, explained Fleet Admiral Axel Schulz.
He is the commander of the Navy's Operational Flotilla 2 in Wilhelmshaven, which also includes the “Hessen”.
“We have a limited number of missiles, so we can currently carry out operations, but at some point we will run out of high-quality ammunition,” Schulz told
NDR
.
“If at some point we run out of ammunition and have used everything, then the mission will be over for us anyway.
There's no other way.
We can’t send ships anywhere without ammunition.” The priority is the safety of the crew.
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Operation against Houthi: Frigate accidentally shoots down an ally's drone
The navy ship has been in operation in the Red Sea since February 23rd, together with other EU countries.
The aim is to protect the trade route against attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels.
In addition to two drones from rebels operating in Yemen, the frigate accidentally shot down a drone from an allied country.
The crew of the “Hessen” had already spotted a drone the previous Monday that could not be assigned to an allied country, reported the
German Press Agency (dpa)
.
The unmanned flying object could belong to the USA.
The inspector of the German Navy, Jan Christian Kaack, thanked the crew of the frigate “Hessen” for their deployment in the Red Sea.
The vice admiral also defended the soldiers against criticism after they shot at an initially unidentifiable US drone.
»The procedure was like in the textbook.
The drone was clearly classified as hostile.
“I would have acted exactly the same as a commander,” Kaack told the dpa news agency.
The oversight and ammunition shortage could have implications for deterrence against Russia.
Especially because the Kremlin may feel threatened by Sweden's imminent admission into NATO.
(hk)