Germany ships a frigate to secure safe shipping in the Red Sea

Germany’s navy chief Jan Christian Kaack said Thursday, their deployment was “the most serious engagement of a unit of the German navy in many decades,” he told reporters in Berlin. Since November, the Huthi rebels in Yemen, who are supported by Iran, have attacked multiple ships that are traversing the Red Sea. They have claimed that their campaign is in support of the Palestinian people in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Typically, the Red Sea handles 12% of all maritime trade worldwide. Some shipping companies have decided to reroute their vessels away from the Red Sea due to the unrest, resulting in a longer and more expensive route around the southern tip of Africa. The “Hesse” frigate set off from the northern German port of Wilhelmshaven with a crew of around 240 people, Kaack said. It will be able to respond to potential attacks including from missiles, drones and remotely controlled “kamikaze boats”, he said. It is expected to be tasked with escorting commercial ships and intercepting attacks. The frigate’s mission still needs to be confirmed by the German parliament and the European Union, however. The EU is currently considering a naval mission to improve security for merchant ships in the Red Sea. A decision could be announced before the next meeting of EU foreign ministers on February 19. Countries including Italy, France and Belgium have signalled an interest in joining the mission. US and British forces meanwhile have in recent weeks carried out joint strikes aimed at reducing the Huthis’ ability to target vessels transiting the key Red Sea trade route, but the rebels have vowed to continue their attacks. Most trade between Asia and Europe usually passes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal that leads to the Mediterranean Sea. According to the International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch platform, total transit volume through the Suez Canal was down 37 percent this year by January 16 compared with the same period a year earlier. (with inputs from the AFP)