Late this morning the frigate Virginio Fasan of the Navy, engaged in the close protection of a European commercial merchant ship, as part of the Aspide operation, shot down a drone in the Red Sea, near the Bab El Mandeb Strait.
The drone, with similar characteristics to those already used in previous Houthi attacks, was about 5 kilometers from the Italian ship, in the direction of the escorted merchant ship, Defense said. Complex attacks with missiles and drones, the ministry informs, «had already occurred during the morning, foiled thanks to the evasive maneuvers carried out by the merchant ship following instructions from the Fasan ship command.
A missile exploded in the water near the escorted vessel, causing only minor superficial damage.”
The Fasan and the protected merchant ship are continuing their route southwards as planned, to exit the Red Sea. Currently in the area to guarantee freedom of navigation and the safety of trade routes, Fasan has replaced the ship Caio Duilio as the headquarters unit of the tactical command of Eunavfor Aspides, the European Union's maritime security operation for the protection of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden areas.