Germany's naval inspector says frigate ready for long Red Sea mission

Germany's Chief of Naval Operations Jan Christian Kaack believes that the frigate "Hessen" is ideally equipped to take part in the EU military mission to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.

Kaack told dpa in Berlin that additional weapons systems had been brought on board the ship, which was specifically designed for such missions.

"Everything that threatens us is dangerous. We will never take refuge in a feeling of superiority, but we are well prepared to deal with the threats," he said.

The 143-metre-long "Hessen" set sail from Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea coast for the Red Sea on Thursday morning.

The mission, called Operation Aspides, involves deploying European warships and airborne early warning systems to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.

In principle, it is possible to protect corridors for civilian shipping with warships or to accompany the cargo ships in a closed convoy, said Kaack. However, operational planning is currently still underway.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked ships with an alleged Israeli connection in the Red Sea, forcing major shipping companies to avoid this key Europe-Asia trade route via the Suez Canal. This is now having a considerable impact on the global economy.

The Houthis have said they are firing on ships to force an Israeli ceasefire in Gaza.

In response, the United States, Britain and other Western allies launched airstrikes on several Houthi rebel positions in Yemen, escalating already high tensions in the Middle East and raising the spectre of a wider regional conflict.

Currently, the EU has no plans to participate in the US attacks on Houthi positions in Yemen.