Red Sea: EU launches new naval mission ASPIDES

Josep Borrell: “With the launch of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the European Union is responding swiftly to the necessity to restore maritime security and freedom of navigation in a highly strategic maritime corridor.”

As Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea continued, the European Union today officially launched EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, saying that the objective of the defensive maritime security operation is to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf.

In announcing the decision, the European Council did not go into details of what ships would be involved, but reportedly France, Germany, Italy and Belgium have so far confirmed they plan to contribute ships to ASPIDES. Its headquarters will be based in Larissa, Greece. The Operation Commander will be Greece’s Commodore Vasilios Gripari, and the Force Commander will be Italy’s Rear Admiral Stefano Costantino.

“Operation ASPIDES will ensure an EU naval presence in the area where numerous Houthi attacks have targeted international commercial vessels since October 2023,” said Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, “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. Within its defensive mandate, the operation will provide maritime situational awareness, accompany vessels, and protect them against possible multi-domain attacks at sea.”

UPDATE: French frigates deployed as part of ASPIDES have already destroyed Houthi drones launched from Yemen.

ATTACKS CONTINUE

Announcement of the creation of the new EU ASPIDES task force came as, despite ongoing efforts by CENTCOM forces to neutralize Houthi assets on the ground in Yemen, today brought news of yet more attacks, one of which saw the crew abandon the ship.

In that incident, according to U.S. Central Command: “Between 9:30 and 10:45 p.m., Feb. 18, two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen toward MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. One of the missiles struck the vessel, causing damage. 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. The crew was transported to a nearby port by the merchant vessel.”

This morning came news of more attacks and more suspicious approaches, with UKMTO reporting that in one incident a ship had reported being struck by a drone causing superficial damage to the accommodation structure and that the crew was safe and the vessel proceeding to its next port of call.

SUEZ CANAL THE BIGGEST LOSER

Like the U.S. led Prosperity Guardian initiative, the EU’s ASPIDES image appears to be aimed at persuading owners and charterers to continue transiting the Red Sea and keeping supply chains flowing. An indication of how the Houthis have been disrupting ocean traffic is that Suez Canal revenues have been hit hard as increasing numbers of owners have been taking the alternative of transiting around the cape.

Al Arabiya quotes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as saying today that revenues from the Suez Canal had “decreased by 40 to 50 percent” so far this year due to attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.

“See what is happening at our borders … with Gaza, you see the Suez Canal, which used to bring Egypt nearly $10 billion per year, (these revenues) have decreased by 40 to 50 percent and Egypt must continue to pay companies and partners,” Al Arabiya quotes al-Sisi as saying during a conference with oil companies.