ASPIDES
- DEFENCE & SECURITY
News:
EU launches Operation
Aspides to counter Houthi attacks
What's
in the news?
●
The European
Union has recently launched a Red Sea mission named Mission Aspides, which
aims to protect shipping in the Red Sea region from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Key
takeaways:
●
Operation will be active along the main sea lines of communication in the Baab
al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
Operation
Aspides:
Aim:
●
Named after the Greek word for "shield," Mission Aspides
aims to enhance maritime situational awareness, escort ships along their
journey, and defend them against multimodal sea attacks.
Features:
●
The Mission Aspides is deployment of naval
force to safeguard vessels in the Red
Sea from Houthi rebel attacks, emphasizing the mission's role in ensuring
the freedom of navigation in critical trade routes.
●
The mission is planned for one year but
may be renewed.
Significance:
●
Mission Aspides is focused on preserving
the safety of maritime routes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, areas
crucial for global commerce, with 12% of
global trade and 30% of the world's container traffic traversing these
waters.
Operational
Scope:
●
The mission's operational scope spans
significant maritime corridors including the Bab Al-Mandeb and Strait of
Hormuz, covering international waters in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian
Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Gulf.