European naval forces destroyed nearly two dozen missiles and drones launched by the Houthi rebels in almost a year of combat operations in the Red Sea, a spokesperson for Operation Aspides told Business Insider on Friday.
The spokesperson added that the European Union launched Operation Aspides in mid-February of last year in response to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, joining American and British forces in their efforts to protect shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from the Yemeni rebels.
So far, the European forces deployed to the mission have intercepted four missiles, shot down 17 aerial drones, and destroyed two naval drones on the surface of the water, the spokesperson said.
Their mission is set to expire in a month as the Houthis signal that they will reduce their attacks, which succeeded in driving up the cost of shipping and compelled some carriers to avoid the Suez Canal and the Red Sea entirely.
European forces — including Germany, France, Italy, and Greece — have taken down the Houthi weapons by opening fire from warships and their embarked helicopters. The surface combatants have used surface-to-air missiles and 3-inch deck-mounted guns to intercept the threats.
A French warship operating in the Red Sea launches a surface-to-air missile and opens fire on a Houthi naval drone
The Operation Aspides spokesperson said European forces have also supported nearly 600 vessels, including providing close protection for more than 350 of them, and carried out three Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) operations to save the lives of nearly 50 sailors.
It's unclear whether the operation's one-year mandate, which began on February 19, 2024, and is set to expire in just a few weeks, will be extended. The mission's budget is 8 million Euros ($8.3 million USD).
The tempo of operations under Aspides is a stark difference from the US Navy's counter-Houthi mission, which has engaged hundreds of Houthi missiles and drones since the fall of 2023. Officers and experts have described the conflict as the most intense combat that American naval forces have faced since World War II.
US warships have also shot down Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles. The rebels became the first force to ever fire this type of missile in combat, in late 2023, and have since fired dozens of them at military and civilian vessels.