The European Union’s naval mission protecting ships crossing the Red Sea said its frigate Psara (a Greek Hydra class vessel) had destroyed two unmanned aerial vehicles in the Gulf of Aden yesterday. The warship is part of Operation Aspides, which began in February in response to drone and missile attacks on vessels by Iranian-aligned Houthi militants. The Houthis describe the attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Houthis have in the past attacked commercial shipping in the busy sea route connecting Europe to Asia using drones and missiles. The Indian Navy has rescued many ships hit by such vessels in the area off the Yemeni coast. Iran is said to be supplying missiles and drones to Houthis to attack ships which they claim are linked to Israel.
The Houthis in the Red Sea have also used an unmanned suicide boat or an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) to unleash a new kind of terror across the high seas. The rebels in Yemen, allied to the Iranian regime have struck and sunk the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier, MV Tutor near the Bab-al-Mandeb straits. This is the second sinking of a ship by the Houthis since November last year.
Sea drones, both surface and submerged were being looked at by navies for coastal patrol and for dangerous tasks such as mine clearing and for towing targets for gunnery practice by ships. Some of these boats, meant for coastal patrol, were also armed with heavy machine guns, rockets and missiles. The conflict in Ukraine already known for its prolific use of suicide drones expanded the use of these modern-day kamikazes to the sea again. A fitting tribute, as the term Kamikaze comes from Japanese and means divine wind or spirit wind. The term was first used to describe a typhoon that destroyed famed the Mongol warrior and emperor Kublai Khan’s invasion fleet headed to Japan. The name now is mostly associated with Japanese pilots who deliberately crashed their planes on to American ships. Thus reflective of their naval roots.
Other countries, including the United States, also have naval forces operating in the area. The Indian Navy too regularly patrols the areas around the Bab al-Mandab Strait where the Houthis regularly attack commercial vessels.
(With inputs from Reuters)
