By Al-Fassel | 2024-02-22

The new European Union (EU) naval force operation in the Red Sea, launched February 19, will fortify international efforts already in place to preserve security in the key maritime trade corridor.

EU Naval Force Operation Aspides -- Greek for "shield" -- will be headquartered in Larissa, Greece, the bloc said.

Designed to ensure an EU naval presence in the area where numerous Houthi attacks have targeted international commercial vessels, the operation will be up and running in a "few weeks" with at least four vessels, an official told AFP.

France, Germany, Italy and Belgium have said they plan to contribute ships.

The initial one-year mandate is limited to protecting civilian shipping in the Red Sea, the EU said, noting that no attacks will be carried out on Yemeni soil.

An EU official said there would be "continuous military to military contact" to coordinate actions with the United States and other forces in the region.

"The operation will play a key role in safeguarding commercial and security interests, for the sake of the EU and the wider international community," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

According to the EU, "the objective of this defensive maritime security operation is to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf."

"In close cooperation with like-minded international partners, Aspides will contribute to safeguard maritime security and ensure freedom of navigation, especially for merchant and commercial vessels," it added.

The operation will be active along the main sea lines of communication in Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and the Gulf.

"Within its defensive mandate, the operation will provide maritime situational awareness, accompany vessels, and protect them against possible multi-domain attacks at sea," it said.

Operation Aspides will coordinate closely with the EU's Atalanta, which contributes to maritime security in the West Indian Ocean and in the Red Sea, and "with like-minded partners contributing to maritime security."

International response

Last November, the Iran-backed Houthis began to carry out indiscriminate attacks against vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, targeting ships with links to more than 40 nations.

Countries around the world rallied to boost security in the waterway.

On January 10, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2722, condemning the attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and underscoring the importance of navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea.

And on January 29, the UNSC approved a Crisis Management Concept for a possible EU maritime security operation to safeguard freedom of navigation in relation to the Red Sea crisis.

US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, launched December 18, operates under the auspices of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Task Force 153, bringing additional ships and a "persistent presence" to the Red Sea.

The 22-member operation is entirely defensive in nature, US officials have said.

Separately, the United States and United Kingdom have carried out strikes against Houthi weaponry in Yemen in self defense, with support from a multilateral coalition comprising Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.

On February 17, US forces "successfully conducted five self-defense strikes against three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV), and one unmanned surface vessel (USV) in Yemen, the military said.

Houthis' ongoing attacks

On the night of February 19, the French navy shot down two drones over the Red Sea, the French defense ministry said.

The navy, which has two frigates deployed in the area, detected "multiple drone attacks originating in Yemen" before destroying two of them, AFP reported.

France has deployed the Alsace, a frigate with air defense capabilities, and the Languedoc, an anti-submarine frigate, in the zone. The Languedoc previously shot down two drones in the Red Sea in self-defense in December.

On the morning of February 18, the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles toward MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier.

One of the missiles struck the vessel, causing damage, the US military said.

"The ship issued a distress call and a coalition warship along with another merchant vessel responded to the call to assist the crew of the MV Rubymar," it said.

"The crew was transported to a nearby port by the merchant vessel."

A UK government spokesperson condemned the "reckless attack" on the bulk carrier, Britain's Press Association reported.

The Houthis also targeted the US-owned Navis Fortuna and Sea Champion -- a Greek-flagged bulk carrier that was traveling from Argentina to Yemen.