At the beginning of April, attacks carried out from Yemen by Houthi rebels [liés à l’Iran] against maritime traffic in the Red Sea have been less frequent and of a more limited scale, without the reason being known. And this while their military infrastructure had been targeted four times by American and British strikes.
“It is not clear what the level of their missile and drone stocks was at the start of their campaign. It is therefore difficult to know exactly where their arsenal stands. Iran is probably in the process of resupplying them,” said General Alexus Grynkewich, the air force commander of the American command for the Middle East and Central Asia.
Then, after the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel on April 14, the Houthis resumed the rhythm of their operations and even threatened to extend them to the Mediterranean. For the director of American intelligence [DNI]Avril Haines, they would have the capacity to threaten maritime traffic for a “certain time”.
“Our assessment is that they will remain active for a certain time,” declared Ms. Haines during a parliamentary hearing, before recalling that the Houthis produce “numerous drones and other weapons while continuing to receive aid from Iran. “This does not mean that the strikes carried out did not have an impact. They have had enough to dissuade them from continuing down this path,” she added.
Two operations were launched to ensure the protection of maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, namely “Guardian of Prosperity”, under American command, and EUNAVFOR Aspides, launched in February by the European Union.
According to a report established on April 14, the four ships engaged in Operation Aspides had destroyed 9 aerial drones, 1 surface drone [USV] as well as 4 ballistic missiles. This “hunting picture” was largely carried out by the multi-mission frigate with enhanced air defense capability. [FREMM DA] Alsace.
Since then, this has been noted by another FREMM, whose identity has not been specified by the General Staff of the Armed Forces. [EMA]. But a recent report carried out on board by TF1 made it possible to determine that it was the FREMM DA Lorraine, commanded by captain Xavier Bagot. However, it is not impossible that it has since been relieved in turn, the FREMM Bretage https://twitter.com/HFayet/status/1784163626586149367 the Suez Canal on April 27…
Still, this May 4, the French Forces in the United Arab Emirates [FFEAU] announced that a frigate of the French Navy had just shot down a kamikaze drone [ou munitions téléopérées – MTO] launched by Houthi rebels against a group of three commercial ships, near the Bab el Mandeb Strait.
“Detecting a combat drone at great distance, a French frigate intervened to protect a group of 3 commercial vessels heading north in the Bab El Mandeb Strait. The combat drone was intercepted by the frigate before it reached its target,” explained the FFEAU, without giving further details. Except that the machine in question was shot down by an Aster missile.
And to add: France has been engaging a frigate in the Red Sea for five months to protect commercial ships, contribute to maritime security and freedom of navigation, in particular by participating in the operation.
