The federal government wants to take part in the planned EU operation against the Houthis. The frigate “Hessen” is now getting ready for this. Your commander assumes a specific threat.
In order to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea against the Houthi militia, the German frigate “Hessen” left for a planned EU military operation. The warship with around 240 soldiers on board left the German Navy’s largest base in Wilhelmshaven in the morning.
By relocating the warship, the Bundeswehr wants to create the conditions for German participation in the EU mission. An EU resolution and a mandate from the Bundestag are still pending – but were most recently expected during February. The “Hessen” is scheduled to arrive in the operational area by the end of February.
The crew was bid farewell by numerous comrades, family members and friends on the pier of the naval base. Defense State Secretary Siemtje Möller (SPD) spoke of a “memorable day” before the frigate set sail. The EU mandate is expected by February 19th at the latest, which the Bundestag could then follow.
EU military operation is set to begin shortly
Plans for the EU mission “Eunavfor Aspides” include sending several European warships and airborne early warning systems to the region to protect cargo ships. These are intended to protect merchant ships there 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 massacre by the Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7th.
Planning for the EU military operation to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea is nearing completion. As the German Press Agency learned from the Council of Member States, the fundamental decision to set up Operation Aspides should ideally be made today in a written procedure. The subsequent necessary decision to start the operation would most likely be made at the next EU foreign ministers’ meeting on February 19th.
Commander: Threat is concrete
“A potential deployment in the Red Sea will represent another acid test for the ship and crew,” said the frigate’s commander, Frigate Captain Volker Kübsch, according to a Navy statement. Until a few weeks ago, the crew of the “Hessen” was traveling in the North and Baltic Seas as a lead ship and part of NATO’s rapid reaction force. The possible deployment in the Red Sea will be completely different after the events of the past weeks and months in the region, said Kübsch.
“The threat there is no longer abstract, it is very concrete and consists of a large number of weapons that were regularly used there,” said the 44-year-old commander. “I know only too well about the capabilities of the ship and the crew and would therefore like to ease the worries of all friends and relatives of the crew. They can rely on us in every respect.”
The inspector of the German Navy, Jan Christian Kaack, emphasizes that, from the Bundeswehr’s perspective, the crew of the frigate “Hessen” is excellently prepared for the dangers posed by an operation against the Houthi militia in the Red Sea. “There is no unit in the German Navy that is better prepared, better trained and better equipped,” said Kaack on Thursday in Berlin. He added: “This is the most serious deployment of a German naval unit in many decades.”
Security expert Markus Kaim from the Science and Politics Foundation (SWP) warned in the “Welt” about the dangers of the operation, including for the frigate “Hessen”. “The risk of escalation is great in Operation Aspides. It is an illusion that the Bundeswehr frigate will not come under fire and will not have to defend itself.” Kaim emphasized: “This is an extremely dangerous operation for our soldiers.” Nobody could expect the Houthis to stop shelling Western ships. “The probability is zero.” The EU must stay in the region and protect ships for many years if it is serious about it.
The chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), also describes the operation as a challenge. It is a dangerous operation. “There’s no need to sugarcoat it. If it wasn’t dangerous or nothing happened there, Europe wouldn’t set off,” said Strack-Zimmermann in the “ZDF” morning magazine.
Frigate can monitor airspace the size of the North Sea
Given the dangers, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. This now has a significant impact on the global economy. The USA and Great Britain have recently attacked Houthi targets in Yemen.
The “Hessen” is equipped, among other things, with anti-aircraft missiles. The 143 meter long ship was specially designed for escort and maritime control. According to the Bundeswehr, it can use its special radar to monitor airspace the size of the entire North Sea. The anti-aircraft missiles can therefore range more than 160 kilometers. In addition to the regular crew and two helicopters, there are also other emergency services on board, including a team of doctors and a military chaplain.
Source: Stern
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