FGS HESSEN

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Frigate thwarted another Houthi attack

The “Hessen” has repelled another attack while deployed to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea on April 6 on the afternoon. The incoming missile could be destroyed. The “Hessen” has been in operation in the Red Sea since the end of February to protect merchant ships against attacks by the Houthi militia operating from Yemen. The operation is part of the EU military mission “Aspides”. On its 4th day of operations, the frigate had already shot down two Houthi drones. In mid-March it repelled an attack with a surface drone against a civilian ship.

Helicopter shot down drone

On March 21 at 9 a.m. the 'Hessen', while providing close protection to a merchant vessel of EU interest in the Southern Red Sea, has destroyed a Houthi drone in the Red Sea, which targeted a civil towing association. It was destroyed with the ship's own helicopter. No further details were mentioned for operational reasons. The ship is tasked to protect merchant ships in the frame of the NATO mssion Aspides.

Fregate shot at a drone of an allied country

The “Hessen” unknowingly shot at a drone belonging to an allied country during its operation in the Red Sea. The warship had already spotted a drone in the operational area on Feb 26, that could not initially be assigned to any of the allied nations. The “Hesse” then tried to shoot down this drone, but was unsuccessful. The case was resolved in the sense that it was not a hostile drone, which only became clear afterwards. Before, the “Hessen” had asked all allied nations, in which no country had reported its own drone in the area of operation. Only later did it turn out that it was an unreported drone. It is well known that there are US combat drones in the region that have nothing to do with the operation in the Red Sea.