As reported, the German frigate Hessen carried out its first live action on Tuesday as part of the EU’s ‘Aspides’ military mission in the Red Sea, repelling two drones of the Yemeni Houthi militia (see video above). As it became known on Thursday, Hessen already had an unidentifiable drone in its sights on Monday and also tried to shoot it down – without success. It later turned out to be an American plane.
As German media report, the two fired interceptor missiles failed to hit their target for technical reasons and fell into the sea. This “double misfortune” (wrong assumption and missing the target, To.), as bild.de calls it, has definitely turned out to be a happy coincidence.
Ministry spokesperson: Drone could not be assigned
Michael Stempfle, spokesman for the German Defense Ministry, said after the incident became known that the drone could not be assigned to any of the states involved in the military mission to protect merchant shipping in the course of an investigation. “The case was resolved because it was not a hostile drone, as only became clear afterwards,” said Strempfle, who did not name the drone’s owner.
It later emerged that it was an unreported US military MQ-9 drone that was not traveling as part of the anti-Houthi alliance. The transponder of the renamed flying object was disabled.
“Axis of resistance” against Israel
The Houthis see themselves as part of the ‘Axis of Resistance’, aimed against Israel and supported by Iran, which also includes the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October, the Houthis have increased their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. That is why many shipping companies are now avoiding the sea trade route. The Yemeni fighters want to use their attacks to end the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
