Kallas says ASPIDES needs at least ten ships to protect trade routes

The EU naval operation in the Red Sea needs at least ten ships to meet demand for the protection of commercial shipping, Kaja Kallas said after the 12 October meeting of foreign ministers. The High Representative said ASPIDES has not yet reached this level and that, although additional offers have emerged from member states, more contributions are needed.

In brief, Kaja Kallas says ASPIDES needs at least ten ships to carry out its mission in the Red Sea. The operation has not yet reached this level. Kallas did not specify how many ships are currently deployed. In September, the High Representative warned that commercial ships were waiting for escorts because ASPIDES did not have enough frigates capable of providing escort and air defence. The ships and a large part of the operation's personnel are provided by participating states, and contributions may vary with rotations and national decisions. ASPIDES' defensive mandate is in force until 28 February 2027 and covers protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and adjacent waters.

At the end of September, Kallas had already described the effects of the lack of ships on commercial traffic. She said at the time that some ships were waiting for escorts in the Bab el-Mandeb area and that the operation particularly needed frigates capable of accompanying commercial shipping and providing air defence. Two states were then discussing possible additional contributions, without the number of ships or the deployment timetable being announced.

The 12 October statement adds, for the first time, an indication of the scale of the operation's needs: at least ten ships. Kallas did not specify how many are actually in the area of operations, nor how many of the contributions under discussion have already moved from offer to deployment.

ASPIDES operates on the basis of assets provided by states. The Union establishes the mandate and command structure, but frigates, other ships, aircraft and a significant part of the personnel come through national contributions. The force composition may change when a ship completes its rotation, is withdrawn for maintenance or is replaced.

The characteristics of the ships sent to the operation also matter for escorting commercial shipping. Frigates must be able to monitor maritime space, detect threats and provide air defence, while their distribution across a large area affects the number of convoys or commercial ships that can be protected at the same time.

ASPIDES was launched in February 2024 following repeated Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The operation has a defensive mandate and aims to protect freedom of navigation along one of the main maritime routes between Europe and Asia.

The Council extended the mandate in February 2026 until 28 February 2027. The mission continues to include escorting and protecting commercial ships, without the expansion decided this year turning ASPIDES into an offensive operation.

In March, the Council added the exchange of information on suspicious activities near subsea infrastructure, support for training Djiboutian maritime forces and cooperation with the Yemeni coast guard. These activities must be carried out with the assets already available to the operation.

Pressure on ASPIDES is also being driven by the persistence of risks to commercial shipping. Ships participating in the operation must monitor maritime routes, respond to escort requests and retain the ability to react in the event of attacks, limiting the number of missions that can be carried out simultaneously when the naval force is reduced.

Shipping companies must in turn choose between waiting for an escort, crossing the area without the operation's protection or using alternative routes. Rerouting around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope lengthens journeys between Asia and Europe and can increase fuel consumption, transport costs and delivery times.

The common ASPIDES budget does not reflect the full cost of the naval presence. States separately bear a large share of the costs for the ships, crews and equipment they send to the operation, meaning that reinforcing the force depends on decisions taken in participating capitals.

Kallas did not request the allocation of a mandatory number of ships among states, and the Council has not established national quotas. The threshold of at least ten describes the level the High Representative considers necessary for the operation, while the force's actual composition continues to depend on the contributions offered and maintained by states.

The next development will depend on these decisions. Additional contributions announced by states will change the operational situation only after the ships are confirmed and actually join the ASPIDES deployment.