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The frigate “Hessen” in the port of Wilhelmshaven: “There is no unit in the German Navy that is better prepared, better trained and better equipped for this”

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Lars Penning / dpa

The foreign ministers of the EU states want to decide on the start of the new military operation to secure merchant shipping in the Middle East this Monday in Brussels. Operation “Aspides” is considered particularly dangerous compared to other current operations.

The primary aim of the operation is to protect merchant ships from attacks by the militant Islamist Houthis from Yemen. The militia wants to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling ships, which followed the unprecedented massacre by the Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7th.

The European warships should therefore patrol particularly in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. They are supposed to accompany merchant ships and ward off attacks in an emergency. The mandate also sets strict limits on the use of weapons. Protective measures must be carried out “in full respect of international law, including the principles of necessity and proportionality”. Houthi boats must therefore not be pursued proactively.

The federal government is sending the 143-meter-long frigate “Hessen” into armed use – provided that the Bundestag gives the necessary approval this Friday as planned. The ship, which left Wilhelmshaven on February 8th, is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and was specifically designed for escort and maritime control. There are around 240 soldiers on board.

According to the Bundeswehr, it can use its special radar to monitor airspace the size of the entire North Sea. The weapon systems are capable of engaging targets at a distance of up to 160 kilometers. Germany also wants to provide staff for the operation's headquarters in Larisa, Greece, as well as helicopters.

"There is no unit in the German Navy that is better prepared"

Since the Houthis have not shied away from attacks on warships in the past, Operation “Aspides” is considered comparatively risky. Marine inspector Jan Christian Kaack said of the departure of the frigate "Hessen": "This is the most serious deployment of a German naval unit in many decades." At the same time, the risks are considered controllable. “There is no unit in the German Navy that is better prepared, better trained and better equipped,” says Kaack.

The Houthi militia has been attacking merchant ships for weeks, especially in the Red Sea. Freighters between Asia and Europe could also navigate around Africa, but the route past the coast of Yemen is by far the shortest. The alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa is several thousand kilometers longer - this results in increasing transport costs and delivery delays.

mrc/dpa