The German frigate F221 Hessen nearly shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper UAV over the Red Sea by mistake

Yemen's Houthis continue to pose a serious threat to shipping in the Red Sea. To ensure the safety of passage of civilian ships in the region, two naval operations of the Western coalition are being implemented at once: “Guardian of Prosperity” and “Aspidus”.

The German frigate F221 Hessen recently arrived in the Red Sea to participate in the latter. The ship with 240 Bundeswehr troops on board departed from the port of Wilhelmshaven in early February. According to the DPA news agency, today the Houthis tried to attack the frigate using a UAV, but the attack was repelled by ship-based air defense systems.



Later, the Bild newspaper denied the report of its colleagues, saying that the F221 Hessen mistakenly fired at an American MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance drone. At the same time, both fired anti-aircraft missiles worked abnormally and fell into the Red Sea.

Despite the regular strikes against Houthi positions, it is too early to talk about the success of the coalition forces’ operations. The Yemeni group actually proclaimed themselves as masters of the Red Sea and adjacent waters, announcing a ban on the movement of ships associated with Israel, the USA and the UK. According to specialized resources, 58 attacks on civilian and military ships were recorded over three months.