Red Sea: European Mission Begins February 19

Tactical leadership will probably be provided by Greece and maritime leadership by France

The European mission in the Red Sea, codenamed Aspis, will begin February 19. The foreign ministers of the European Union member states have followed the call of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to “hurry up.”

The mission will be commanded by Greece, which should host the headquarters that will command the operation at the tactical level, i.e., from the land. Yesterday, however, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto mentioned the possibility of “France or Italy” commanding. According to Daniele Ranieri in La Repubblica newspaper, it could work out this way: the headquarters is in Greek territory, the command at sea is reserved for France, and the deputy commander could represent Italy.

Regardless of who leads the mission, the situation on one of the key routes for Asia-Europe-Asia trade gets increasingly critical. According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, in the first half of January 2024, the volume of transit through the Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, has fallen by 37%.

Brussels stresses that the mission will be “defensive,” aimed at protecting transit ships, and will be very different from the Anglo-American mission (Prosperity Guardian), although they share a common goal: to secure the vital maritime trade route.

Aspis will rely on the current French Agenor mission. It involves Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Norway; the mission already controls areas of the Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Hormuz, and part of the Arabian Sea. The new mission’s ground headquarters could be deployed at the Greek Air Force base in Larissa.

The same countries will participate as in Agenor. Noteworthy is the absence of Spain, which in any case has indicated that it will not oppose the mission. The EU’s Political and Security Committee is expected to meet on February 13. After a discussion involving the member states’ permanent representatives, the Union’s foreign ministers may give the green light to the new operation.