European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) maritime security Operation Aspides was established to counter the attacks from the Yemeni Houthi movement on international merchant traffic in the area between the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden. The Operation recently celebrated a year since its launch. This year has been a test for European navies and for the ability of the entire West to respond to strategic maritime challenges.
The Bab El-Mandeb strait is a natural chokepoint and is of great importance to the international trade. This region is not entirely peaceful due to the activities of Somali pirates, but large-scale actions against modern commercial shipping in the region were unheard of before October 2023.
Shortly after the breakout of the Gaza war, the Yemeni Ansar Allah organization, also known as the Houthi movement, expressed support for the Palestinian cause and launched a series of attacks on Israel and merchant traffic, which they said was linked to Israel.
Their most dramatic attack was the hijacking of the MV Galaxy Leader on November 19, 2023, which the Houthi fighters boarded from a helicopter. The Houthis' possession of a helicopter is not surprising given that they control substantial parts of Yemen, including major population centers such as the capital Sanaa.
From the beginning, the United States has opposed the Houthi attacks by shooting down their missiles and drones. The US involvement became an official Operation on December 18:
Of the countries mentioned here, only the UK and the Netherlands provided warships to participate in the US Operation. Additionally, a frigate was sent by Denmark.
Сountries with warships already stationed in the region, France, Italy and Spain, refused to participate. Spain’s Defense Ministry said it would only participate in NATO-led or European-coordinated operations. Other countries have voiced similar concerns, with France and Italy confirming the deployment of their warships, but only as a protection for their shipowners.
Some countries sent only personnel to participate in the Operation, such as Australia, whose defense minister said the military would not send "a ship or a plane":
Despite this misunderstanding, the US continued its Operation. And the Houthis took this as a challenge, increasing the number of attacks on merchant traffic. The US forces managed to intercept many drones and missiles, but the Houthis managed to achieve some hits, which further reduced the number of merchant ships wishing to use the Bab El-Mandeb strait.
In January 2024, the US began striking Houthi targets in Yemen, an operation codenamed Poseidon Archer. Apart from the US, the UK was the only country to take part in these strikes. These strikes led to further escalation, as it made the Houthis very willing to attack any ship linked to the US and UK.
The ongoing confrontation with the Houthis made it clear that there was a need to coordinate the efforts of the naval forces that were present in the region but not part of the US-led Operation.
The world of maritime shipping is extremely complex and it is often difficult to trace the ultimate beneficiary owner. This has led to the Houthis launching attacks on merchant ships that are unlikely to fit their stated targets. The attacks on some of these merchant ships affected the interests of the European Union and and especially Greece.
Thus, the European Council has launched EUNAVFOR Aspides on 19 February 2024. The Operation headquarters is based in Larissa, Greece.
The Operation's forces carry out two main types of activities: providing close protection to merchant ships and rescuing crews of merchant ships attacked by the Houthis (such ships always sail without the Operation's protection).
The main contributions to the Operation have been made by France, Italy and Greece. The first two countries had no problem with the deployment of their warships, but for Greece it was a challenge. The deployment of the flagship of the Hellenic Navy to the Operation has been delayed due to urgent upgrades and issues with personnel. This situation did not repeat itself and subsequent deployments of the Hellenic Navy warships proceeded smoothly.
Germany was one of the first to send a warship, the frigate Hessen. Upon arrival in the area of Operation, Hessen was involved in a friendly fire incident when she unsuccessfully targeted an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, expending two SM-2 missiles in the process. Despite this incident, Hessen subsequently successfully defended the escorted vessel from a Houthi attack. However, Hessen's deployment had other problems. Germany has no military base in the area of Operation, so Hessen had to be resupplied by planes. This increases the cost of its presence. At the same time, discussions about low reserves of some types of ammunition for this warship appeared in the German press. So far, Hessen is the only warship sent by Germany to this Operation.
Belgium sent its only Operational frigate, Louise-Marie. The warship took a long time to leave Belgium and upon arrival in the Mediterranean she failed tests, while her RIM-7 Sea Sparrow air defense missile got "stuck" in its launch tube. The problems were eventually resolved and Louise-Marie took part in the Operation.
Although the Netherlands initially took part in the American-led Operation, its frigate Tromp closely interacted with the Operation Aspides, and support ship Karel Doorman served as Operation flagship from 15 June to 8 August 2024.
During the entire period of activity, the forces of the Operation destroyed 18 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 4 ballistic missiles and 2 unmanned surface vessels (USV) launched by the Houthis. For an Operation that lasted more than a year, these are very small numbers. And this means that during most of the Operation there was no combat action. However, it cannot be said that there were no intense battles:
The Houthis clearly have plenty of missiles and drones. The US Navy warships have seen very intense combat actions over the last year, stating to have destroyed hundreds of targets.
However, they rarely attack forces of the Operation Aspides. This is because the Houthis have no compelling reason to do this. Almost every official document of Operation Aspides makes the mention that it prescribes strictly defensive actions. And the Operation lives up to these statements.
The Houthi leaders have sometimes expressed their displeasure about the Fact that the Operation's forces are opposing them, but since they have not struck the Houthi territory or their naval forces, the Houthis do not consider the Operation an open enemy.
In one year, the Operation's units successfully completed over 370 close protection activities in favor of merchant ships in transit, according to the Italian Navy. Such activities often involve escorting several merchant ships at a time.
This number does not seem big. But the number of ships requesting the Operation's protection is not that big either. The reason for this is that most of the merchant ships that could potentially be targeted by the Houthis had already begun using the Cape of Good Hope route before the Operation began. For these merchant ships, the route around Africa is an established route, albeit not ideal, and the transition from it is complicated and risky. So only a few have returned under the protection of the Operation.
And those who are protected by the Operation receive competitive advantages. For example, the French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM maintains a regular route through the Bab El-Mandeb strait, called Phoenician Express. The existence of this route is entirely due to the fact that EU countries were able to work together to support each other's national interests.
On the other hand, US-flagged ships, including those carrying military cargo, have been forced to take the route around Africa for a year without any alternative. The US Navy's offensive strategy has not allowed them to stop the Houthis. Moreover, the Houthis have expanded their range of attacks and started using new weapons. They have also launched a series of strikes against Israel, which Israel has had to respond to on its own.
In this light, the Operation Aspides appears to have been a success, albeit a limited one. However, this does not look good for Western unity as a whole. The US and Britain are fighting a separate offensive war, while several EU countries have come together to defend their interests, leaving the Houthis, a "non-state actor", with a great deal of freedom of action and influence. The Houthis have only announced that they will stop attacking merchant ships because of the ceasefire in Gaza.