AFP Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Updated Friday, March 1, 2024-08:21

According to German media reports last Wednesday, a German navy frigate, which was participating in the

international navigation protection operation in the Red Sea,

was about to mistakenly shoot down an American drone.

The German Defense Ministry confirmed that an incident occurred on Monday involving a drone from an allied country,

without specifying the country

in question.

The frigate 'Hesse' opened fire after trying

"unsuccessfully" to identify an unknown drone

, Defense Minister

Boris Pistorius

said , noting that the target was not "hit."

The drone was later discovered to be a "reconnaissance aircraft," he added.

According to Der Spiegel

magazine

, this device was an American

Reaper drone

.

The German Defense Ministry indicated that the frigate fired because

none of its allies had reported

the presence of a drone in the area.

According to

Spiegel

, military officials consider that this incident shows that coordination between allies participating in missions in the area

"must improve."