Brussels, Sept. 28 (SANA) European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on member states Monday to provide more warships for the bloc’s Red Sea naval mission, saying Operation ASPIDES needs additional assets to protect commercial shipping amid heightened threats in the region.
Speaking to reporters as she arrived for a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels on Monday, Kallas urged member states to make additional contributions to the operation, saying she had not yet received confirmed new commitments, according to Reuters.
Kallas said last week that ASPIDES needed more naval and air assets to respond to the increased level of threats in the region. She said the original assessment was that the operation required at least 10 ships and described the current security situation as more serious. European diplomats told Reuters that about six warships were operating as part of the mission.
Defensive maritime mission
The European Union established EUNAVFOR ASPIDES in February 2024 as a defensive maritime security operation following repeated Houthi attacks on international shipping.
The mission is intended to safeguard freedom of navigation and protect merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. Its area of activity includes major sea routes around the Bab al-Mandab Strait and extends to international waters in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf.
The EU Council extended ASPIDES’ mandate in February until Feb. 28, 2027, following a strategic review. The operation was allocated nearly 15 million euros in common costs for the period from March 1, 2026, through the end of its current mandate.
In March, the Council expanded the mission’s tasks to include collecting and sharing information on suspicious activity related to critical submarine infrastructure, training Djiboutian maritime forces and cooperating with the Yemeni Coast Guard.
The Council said the changes reflected the need for sustained contributions of assets, including vessels, to EU maritime operations in the region.
Shipping routes under pressure
Attacks on commercial shipping have disrupted traffic through the Red Sea, prompting some shipping companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, lengthening routes between Asia and Europe and increasing transportation and insurance costs.
Kallas said last week that attacks in the region were affecting European interests and the global economy, while calling for additional naval and air assets for ASPIDES.
The operation remains focused on defensive maritime security and the protection of vessels, according to the EU Council, which says ASPIDES operates in accordance with international law.
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