Italian MoD press release – Translated by Luca Peruzzi
Late this morning (yesterday 29 April) the Italian Navy Virginio Fasan frigate, engaged in the close protection of an European merchant vessel, as part of the EUNAVFOR ASPIDES Operation, shot down a drone in the Red Sea, near the Bab El Mandeb Strait. The drone, with similar characteristics to those already used in previous Houthi attacks, was about 5 kilometres from the Italian ship, in the direction of the escorted merchant ship.
Complex attacks with missiles and drones had already occurred during the morning (29 April), foiled thanks to the evasive manoeuvres carried out by the merchant ship following instructions from the Fasan frigate crew. A missile exploded in the water in the vicinity of the escorted vessel, causing only minor superficial damage.
The Fasan frigate and the protected merchant vessel are continuing (on the same day) their southward route as planned, to exit the Red Sea. Currently in the area to guarantee freedom of navigation and the safety of trade routes, the Virginio Fasan frigate has replaced the Caio Duilio destroyer as the headquarters platform of the Force command of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the European Union’s maritime security operation for the protection of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden areas.
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Author’s comments
The first shot down of the Houthi drone while escorting a European merchant vessel by the Italian Navy Virginio Fasan (F 591) Bergamini-class frigate under the EUNAVFOR Operation Aspides comes a few days after the relief of Caio Dulio (D 554) destroyer as flagship and Force Commander platform for the same European Union Operation.
Few more details on the engagement during the merchant vessels protection operations involving the Italian Fasan frigate came from the troupe of the TG1 channel of the RAI national public broadcasting company, which was on board the ship during the activities. The short exclusive report by Fenesia Calluso broadcasted on evening TG1 TV news highlighted a complex attack against the merchant vessel being escorted by Fasan frigate taken by Houthi with both drones and what was termed as ‘missiles’. The crew of the Italian Navy vessel had detected and was tracking a missile, ready to fire. Manoeuvring instructions provided by the frigate crew to the merchant ship allowed them to dodge it successfully. A few minutes later, the Fasan engaged a drone with was shot down with the main gun armament. No details were provided by the reporter but based on the images of a board screen display, the engagement was accomplished with the rear 76/62 mm Super Rapido gun mount.
The Fasan frigate is in the ASW configuration which features two same-type gun mounts in the Strales configuration equipped with guided munitions. Based on the screen display images and listening to the number of rounds being fired together with the information provided on previous engagements carried out by the Caio Dulio and the Italian MoD press statement which indicates the use of a drone with analogue features of the ones used in previous attacks, the latest engagement was likely conducted firing conventional rounds. As reported by the Italian MoD, the drone was about 5 km from the Italian ship, when has been shoot down. The TG 1 report also showed the ship’s decoy launchers fully armed and the San Marco brigade operators with machine guns on the external ship passages to provide better coverage in case of very short self-protection activities.
Almost in the same timeframe, according to the TG1 reporter, another ‘missile’ exploded near the merchant vessel, causing minor external damages and no injuries. Constant ‘action stations’ for the Fasan crew ready to manage fires in case of any incident. No information where provided on where the incident occurred. The UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations) stated the attack on the Malta-flagged merchant vessel occurred 54 nm northwest of Al Mukha, and that the ship and crew were reported as safe and proceeding to the next port of call, although the vessel was damaged by an explosion in close proximity. The escorted vessels and Fasan frigate continued the southward route as planned to safely exit the Red Sea.
As remarked by the Italian MoD press release, the Houthi attack was the peak of a morning of complex ones with ‘missiles’ and drones, highlighting the continuous real and concrete threat posed by Houthi to the merchant vessels traffic in the area. The latter have decreased by 50%, forced to make a trip of at least 20 days longer, since the Houthi attacks.
“Our presence is fundamental, our commitment is important. We are in fact the shield to protect maritime traffic…….To date we have closely protected over 100 merchant ships, supported an even greater number, giving information on how to navigate safely”, said Italian Navy rear admiral Stefano Costantino, the EUNAVFOR Aspides Operation Force Commander embarked with his international staff on board the Fasan frigate, to the TG1 reporter. The merchant vessel was under protection by the Italian frigate since the day before as it had been threatened by the Houthi with a document shown to the TG 1 report saying that they knew the origin of travel port and therefore the ship could not pass through the area. The escorted merchant ship wasn’t the only one protected by the Italian frigate as also a Greek-owned oil tanker flying the Panamanian flag asked for the EU mission protection. Small boats are sailing in the same area of the operations but in addition to fishing activities, they can also gather information, providing intelligence for follow-on attacks.
On 30 April, the EUNAVFOR Operation Aspides released a press statement saying that while providing close protection to a merchant vessel, the Fasan frigate shot down one UAV, successfully repelling multiple attacks coming from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen. Interestingly, the Aspides’ Maritime Security Off Yemen Coast Threat Update early report states that the multiple attacks were conducted by three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) and five UAVs, of which one was shot down, three missed and one slightly damaged the ship.
