Mission Aspides

February 21, 2024

The European Union has launched ‘Mission Aspides’, a naval mission to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea from attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The naval mission will send European warships and airborne early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.
The operational command centre will be in the Greek city of Larissa.
Aspides vessels will have orders to fire on the Houthis only if they attack first and will not be authorised to shoot pre-emptively.