.NNA -nbsp;Germany sent a powerful air defense frigate on Thursday to join annbsp;European Union naval mission in the Red Sea that will be launched in mid-Februarynbsp;to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemenrsquo;snbsp;Houthi militia.
ldquo;Free sea trade routes are the basis of our industry and of our capability to defend ourselves,rdquo; the chief of the German navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, told reporters in Berlin.
ldquo;The current situation in the Red Sea has already caused bottlenecks in supply and forced some companies to stop their production,rdquo; he said, adding that more than 90 percent of all goods reached Europe and Germany by sea.
The German frigate Hesse left its North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven for the Red Sea, but its participation in the mission still hinges on an EU mandate and national parliamentary approval expected at the end of February.
The vessel is built for air defense, equipped with radars that can detect targets at a range of up to 400 kms (248 miles) and missiles to shoot down targets such as ballistic missiles and drones at a range of more than 160 kms.
ldquo;We expect the entire spectrum of direct and indirect attacks, reaching from wide-ranging ballistic missiles … to drones and remote-controlled boats in kamikaze mode,rdquo; Kaack said. — Reuters
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