The European Union has the ambition to be a global maritime security provider as emphasized in the October 2023 maritime security strategy. It is consequential that the member states have agreed on a new maritime security operation, called Aspis, to respond to the ongoing missile and drone attacks on merchant vessels by the Houthis in the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean.
These attacks have implied significant costs for maritime trade and carry the danger of a major environmental disaster in the region, with worst case scenarios pointing to a full closure of this trade route with dramatic consequences for the regional and global economies.
The new operation Aspis draws on a recent UN Security Council mandate and will further enhance the air defense already put in place by the US-led operation Prosperity Guardian.
Read the rest of the story at euobserver, here.
