European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged member states to deploy additional warships and air assets to reinforce the bloc’s maritime security mission in the Red Sea, warning that the current force is insufficient to meet rising threats.
Speaking in New York after an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Kallas said Operation Aspides needs to expand as shipping risks increase around the Bab al Mandab Strait.
“The operation needs more naval assets and more air assets to address the increased level of threats in the region,” Kallas told reporters.
She said the Black Sea, Strait of Hormuz and Bab al Mandab are critical maritime chokepoints whose disruption could have consequences well beyond their immediate regions.
Mission faces growing pressure
Operation Aspides was launched in 2024 to help protect commercial shipping from attacks by Houthis in Yemen. The defensive mission operates in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, escorting and protecting merchant vessels.
Kallas said the operation would need more than 10 warships to adequately respond to the current security environment. Reuters reported that the mission currently has six warships, with Italy and Greece among its main contributors.
The appeal comes as Italy has separately pressed EU partners to increase their contributions. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has called for more ships, warning that existing assets are insufficient to respond to requests for protection from commercial vessels.
Despite the calls for reinforcement, EU member states have yet to commit to a major expansion of the mission.
Kallas said the original planning for Aspides envisaged at least 10 ships, adding that the security situation has since become more serious.
The renewed push highlights growing European concerns over the vulnerability of a maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, with disruptions potentially affecting shipping, supply chains and energy markets.
