The French Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that France is participating in protecting shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, amid an ongoing naval deployment aimed at securing commercial vessels transiting one of the region’s key maritime routes.
Two French frigates deployed in Bab el-Mandeb
The announcement confirms France’s continued role in maritime security efforts in the Red Sea, without the Foreign Ministry specifying the nature of the assets involved or details of the missions being carried out by French forces as part of the deployment. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces previously reported, in an operations update covering 10 to 17 September 2026, that two French multi-purpose frigates had been deployed in an area including southern Yemen, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
According to the ministry, one of the frigates supports France’s independent assessment of the situation in the region, allowing Paris to retain freedom of decision and action, while the second frigate is participating in Operation Aspides, run by the European Union Naval Force.
The Ministry of the Armed Forces said French naval vessels had helped protect more than 150 ships since the start of the European operation, which escorts commercial vessels and protects them from threats facing shipping in the Red Sea. On 10 June 2026, a French multi-purpose frigate escorted the CMA CGM Notre Dame container ship as it crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as part of Operation Aspides.
Protecting commercial vessels from maritime threats
The Ministry of the Armed Forces said the frigate positioned itself towards the sources of the threat to protect the vessel from airborne and surface risks detected in the area. The European Union launched Operation Aspides in February 2024 as a defensive maritime security mission in response to repeated attacks targeting international shipping since October 2023.
European mandate extended and cost of Aspides set
The Council set a reference amount of approximately 15 million euros to cover the operation’s common costs from the beginning of March 2026 until the end of the extended mandate. The Council confirmed that “Aspides” provides defensive maritime protection for vessels and supports stability along the main shipping routes in accordance with international law.
In March 2026, it also amended the operation’s mandate to include gathering and sharing information on suspicious activities linked to critical subsea infrastructure, contributing to the training of Djibouti’s naval forces and co-operating with the Yemeni coastguard.
In October 2026, the European operation’s command renewed its commitment to the defensive mandate, which focuses on protecting commercial vessels and seafarers and safeguarding freedom of navigation, while adopting an approach aimed at reducing tensions, co-operating with partners and respecting international law.
Within its area of operations, Operation Aspides links maritime routes extending from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf, passing through the Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz straits. France participates in its command through a French officer serving as deputy operation commander at its headquarters in the Greek city of Larissa.
