German warship retreats from #Yemen after unsuccessful mission : Report

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@ferozwala
German warship retreats from #Yemen.

A German warship ended its mission protecting merchant shipping from #AlHouthis resistance in Yemen & departed from the #RedSea.

The frigate was part of the #EU’s defensive naval mission Aspides & was deployed in the Red Sea in February to protect merchant ships from the strike from Ansar Allah in Yemen, who are protesting against the war in #Gaza.

The Red Sea is home to the most important sea route from Asia to Europe, which runs through the Suez Canal.

Sputnik
@SputnikInt
Houthis too hot to handle? German warship ends mission against Yemeni militia, heads home

The Hessen, a German frigate deployed to the Red Sea in late February to take part in Operation Aspides – the European Union-led mission to protect regional shipping against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militiamen, wrapped up its mission and departed from the region early Saturday morning.

The Bundeswehr said the 143 meter-long anti-air and anti-ship missile-equipped warship was heading back to Germany after roughly eight weeks of service escorting 27 merchant ships – the equivalent of about one commercial vessel every two days.

The Hessen is the latest warship from two separate Western coalitions (the EU’s Operation Aspides and the US-UK Operation Prosperity Guardian) to leave the Red Sea region.

The German warship reported intercepting a Houthi missile on April 6. Before that, on March 21, the Bundeswehr reported that the Hessen had destroyed an unmanned sea vehicle launched by the militia.

The Houthis have forced US, British and European warships to expend missiles worth $1 million or more to destroy aerial and naval drones which cost thousands of dollars to make. Since January, the US and the UK have attempted to degrade Houthi capabilities through a series of air and missile strikes inside Yemen, but have so far failed to lift what is effectively a partial blockade of the Red Sea enforced by the militia since November 2023.

OpenEyeReports
@OpenEyeReports
Germany’s Costly Failure Against Yemen’s Houthi Rebels

The German navy has cut its losses and abruptly ended the deployment of the frigate Hessen to the Red Sea after a humiliating inability to counter Yemen’s Houthi militia. The 143-meter warship, bristling with anti-air and anti-ship missiles, limped back to Germany on Saturday after a mere eight-week stint.

During its short-lived mission as part of the European Union’s Operation Aspides, the Hessen managed to escort just 27 merchant vessels – a paltry rate of about one ship every two days. Its presence proved ineffective at lifting the Houthis’ de facto blockade of the Red Sea that has been in place since November 2023.

The rebel militia, deploying relatively inexpensive drones and unmanned vessels, managed to overwhelm the German warship’s defenses on multiple occasions. The Hessen reported intercepting a Houthi missile on April 6, and earlier had to destroy an unmanned sea vehicle launched by the militia on March 21.

Germany’s premature withdrawal follows failed attempts by US and UK forces to degrade Houthi capabilities through airstrikes and missile barrages inside Yemen. Despite expending millions on high-tech munitions, the West has been unable to neutralize the low-cost threat posed by the Yemeni rebels’ asymmetric tactics in the Red Sea.