The German frigate “Hessen,” while on duty in the Red Sea for a European Union (EU) mission, nearly engaged an American MQ-9 Reaper drone by mistake, as reported by Spiegel.
The incident unfolded when the “Hessen’s” crew detected the drone on their radar and reached out to the American forces participating in the Prosperity Guardian mission in the same area, only to discover the drone was part of a different US military operation.
Despite attempts at communication, the decision was made to engage the approaching drone.
However, a technical glitch caused both launched anti-aircraft missiles to malfunction and drop into the sea. The German Defence Ministry acknowledged the occurrence on February 28th but withheld specifics.
They later clarified that the fire was directed at what was ultimately identified as a non-hostile drone.
This event has highlighted the need for enhanced coordination among missions in the Red Sea, with officials noting the potential disaster had the drone been downed.
Separately, the “Hessen” had successfully defended against an attack by Yemeni Houthi militants in the Red Sea, shooting down two drones in its first combat action within the EU’s Aspides mission, deemed one of the Bundeswehr’s riskiest naval operations.
The mission, which began on February 19th, aims to protect civilian ships in the Red Sea amidst ongoing threats from Houthi forces, against whom the US has also been active in defense efforts.
The US forces recently neutralized three unmanned boats, two cruise missiles, and a drone operated by the Houthi rebels.
The unmanned boats and missiles were prepared for launch towards the Red Sea, while the drone was already flying over the area.
The Central Command’s statement highlighted that the three boats and the missiles were detected in areas under Houthi control.
The drone was observed in the airspace over the Red Sea, and it was concluded that it posed an imminent threat to both commercial shipping and US naval vessels operating in the region.
