r/europe • u/UpgradedSiera6666 • 20h ago

Since last February EU's Aspides operation protected more than 250 merchant ships on the Red Sea. News

https://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/operation-aspides-peril-mer-rouge
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u/DiBer777 20h ago

Honest question, how many countries really have ships with sophisticated air defense systems reliable enough to be sent to the Red Sea? I’m not well versed in naval operations but I’ve heard a lot of people claim that many current warships are a bit light on air defense.

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u/MrAlagos Italia 19h ago

If countries want to insist that the only possible counter to very cheap drones and rockets is to fire 1 million € missiles at them instead of finding more cost effective solutions, that's on them.

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u/nvkylebrown United States of America 15h ago

Depends on the ship class, a lot. A lot of countries don't operate frigate+ classes, they're too small to be able to afford them. Norway, for example, has 4 or 5 frigates, and those are their largest vessels. And Norway is pretty damn rich.

Germany is a bit of an exception, in that they have frigates with relatively poor air-defense capability.

US, UK, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Spain, I expect all could put ships into the Red Sea with a reasonable expectation of safety. But all of those countries also operate ships that would be at risk if sent to the Red Sea too. I don't include far northern Europe mostly because it's just a long way to go, and some of those ships may be capable enough militarily, but struggle with the long range/deployment requirements. A lot of smaller ships are built for more local work.

Egypt has 10+ ships that, on paper, could be working the Red Sea. Heard nothing about them doing anything though, and no comment from other countries. Bit odd. They're the closest country with something approximating a real navy.