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Crew of the frigate “Hessen” leaving the port in Wilhelmshaven

Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa

The Bundeswehr frigate “Hessen” set sail from Wilhelmshaven on Thursday bound for the Red Sea. The warship is to take part in the planned EU operation to protect merchant ships from attacks by the Yemeni Houthis. It is expected that the EU foreign ministers will officially approve the mission in mid-February. The deployment of the “Hesse” must first be formally decided by the federal government and then mandated by the Bundestag. This is expected by the end of the month.

The Navy inspector, Jan Christian Kaack, pointed out the dangers of the operation in Berlin: "We expect the entire spectrum of direct and indirect attacks," he told journalists. "This ranges from long-range ballistic missiles ... to normal anti-ship missiles to drones and even small drones, but also remote-controlled surface units in kamikaze operations." According to military officials, the "Hessen" is well equipped to fend off attacks of this kind, especially as far as anti-aircraft defense is concerned. The frigate's radar systems cover a radius of up to 400 kilometers. Drones and missiles can be shot down at a distance of more than 160 kilometers.

The warships are intended to repel attacks by the Houthis, but not to attack any targets

“Free maritime trade routes are the basis of our industry, but also our defense capability,” emphasized Kaack. “The Red Sea is the second most important sea lane in the world,” and current developments have already led to delivery bottlenecks in the German economy. Many merchant ships are already avoiding the Red Sea because of the Houthi attacks and choosing the route via the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, which extends the journey time by up to two weeks, with corresponding consequences for supply chains. The Houthi militias attack the ships in solidarity with the terrorist organization Hamas in its fight against Israel.

In addition to Germany, France, Italy and Greece, among others, want to take part in the planned EU mission called “Aspides”. The plan is to initially use three ships at the same time. According to the plans, they should be able to repel attacks, but not attack Houthi targets on land.

aka/Reuters