Austria is also participating in the EU mission “Aspides” in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships against attacks by the Yemeni Houthi militia. The red-white-red post consists of two officers based at the headquarters of the military mission in the Greek city of Larissa.
According to the Ministry of Defense in Vienna, the two armed forces officers will contribute their knowledge in logistics and information and communications technology. It is about “representing the vital interests of Europe – and therefore of Austria – within the European network and actively protecting the security of important trade routes to Europe,” Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) said on Wednesday.
Current developments in and around Europe show that Europe’s international security and defense policy “faces major challenges” that can only be addressed collectively, Tanner continued.
“Aspides” (Ancient Greek: “shield”) was formally approved by EU foreign ministers last week against the backdrop of the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea. The mission will be purely defensive and will only involve operations at sea, but not on land.
The primary purpose is to protect merchant ships from attacks by the Iran-backed militant Islamist militia, which says it wants to expand its attacks. Because the Houthis have not shied away from attacks on warships in the past, Operation ‘Aspides’ is considered relatively risky.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
