armed forces
Frigate “Hessen” shoots down Houthi drones in the Red Sea
It was the German Navy’s first use of live weapons in the operation that began on Friday. photo
© Sina Schuldt/dpa
The operation is considered the most dangerous in the history of the German Navy. Now the frigate “Hessen” has fended off an attack by the Islamist Houthi militia in the Red Sea for the first time.
The Houthi militia, allied with Iran, wants to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling merchant ships in the Red Sea. The Israeli military operation is a response to the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on October 7th.
One of the most important trade routes
The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important routes of world trade. Because of the attacks by the Houthis, who are armed by Iran, large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea connection between Asia and Europe – with significant effects on the global economy. Almost daily, the US military carries out strikes to eliminate Houthi targets, including missiles and drones aimed at ships and weapons prepared to be fired.
On Friday, the Bundestag approved German participation in the EU mission “Aspides”. The “Hessen” had previously set off from Wilhelmshaven towards the operational area with the aim of being able to begin fulfilling the order immediately after the Bundestag decision. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said that the operation contributed to the stabilization of the region, but at the same time was “one of the most dangerous for the German Navy in decades.”
Houthi militia relies on escalation
The US regional command Centcom said that night that American aircraft “and an allied warship” had shot down five Houthi drones between 9:50 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. local time. It remained unclear whether the ship was the “Hesse”. The drones were sent from militia-controlled areas in Yemen and endangered commercial and naval vessels in the region, according to a Centcom post on the online platform X, formerly Twitter.
Last week, the Houthi militia said it wanted to expand attacks on merchant ships off the country’s coast. The group’s leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised speech that they are relying on escalation as a response to Israel’s escalation in the Gaza Strip. So far 48 ships have been attacked. He also announced the use of underwater weapons.
18 countries involved in the EU military operation
In addition to the USA, other Western countries such as Great Britain are also involved in operations to repel the attacks. 18 countries are taking part in the purely defensive EU military operation to protect merchant shipping. In addition to Germany, Belgium, Italy and France, among others, are sending ships to the Red Sea.
Most recently, US and British forces attacked 18 Houthi targets in eight locations on Sunday night. According to US information, these included underground militia weapons depots as well as missile depots, drones, air defense systems and radar systems. British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps threatened the extremists with further attacks if they did not stop their attacks on merchant ships.