The European Union is working to increase the number of warships operating as part of its Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea, with the aim of expanding its ability to escort commercial vessels as they pass through the region and exit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, amid growing threats linked to escalating Houthi activity and its impact on maritime traffic.
Kallas requests additional ships for Aspides mission
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had called on member states to allocate more warships to escort commercial vessels. Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to Beirut, she said the mission needed at least 10 ships to carry out its duties, acknowledging that the European Union "does not currently have that number, but we are working to reach it".
Kallas said the list of vessels needing protection and escorts was growing. She added that member states had already begun providing more naval vessels, and that Belgium would join the mission with new ships, while two other EU members were working to provide additional vessels or considering taking that step.
According to Kallas, the reinforcements are intended to increase the mission's ability to meet the needs of all vessels requesting escorts. She said that "maritime security is clearly one of our priorities", stressing the European Union's determination to "contribute to maintaining the continuity of maritime traffic through the Red Sea".
Alert level raised after Houthi escalation
The European Union raised the alert level of its naval mission last month following an escalation by the Houthis and their control of parts of the western coast overlooking the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The request for additional ships comes as the European mission continues to monitor security developments in the strait and surrounding area.
The European Union launched the Aspides mission in 2024 to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea, following earlier attacks by the Houthis on vessels in the region. The mission previously said that 260 vessels had requested protection and escorts since the Houthis began attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. Bab el-Mandeb is a key passage for global trade, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The Red Sea is also a crucial part of the maritime route linking Asian and European markets via the Suez Canal, making the continuity of shipping there connected to the movement of supply chains and trade between the two regions.
Houthi attacks disrupted shipping in the region, prompting several global shipping companies to divert their vessels away from the Red Sea and take longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope. The changes in routes affected transport and insurance costs, as well as increasing the time required for sea voyages.
