NYN | News
A specialized military website has revealed that the German Navy was forced to reroute one of its frigates last year to avoid passing through the Red Sea due to concerns over the missile capabilities of the forces in Sana’a.
According to Naval News on Friday, the frigate Baden-Württemberg (F222), one of Germany’s modern F125-class warships, returned from its mission in the Indian and Pacific Oceans via the Cape of Good Hope instead of the shorter route through the Red Sea. The change was made due to the ship’s limited air defense capabilities in the face of potential threats in the region.
The report noted that the German frigate’s experience exposed significant shortcomings in its self-defense systems, particularly against missiles and drones. This vulnerability prompted the German naval command to decide against deploying it to high-risk areas such as the Red Sea, where Yemeni military operations against hostile vessels have intensified since late 2023.
According to the U.S.-based site, the German Navy is currently analyzing operational lessons learned from its participation in the European mission “Atalanta,” aimed at securing maritime routes and combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa. However, recent developments have shown that threats in the Red Sea now go beyond conventional piracy and include “advanced missile capabilities,” introducing new strategic challenges for Western naval forces.
The F125-class frigates are among the most advanced in the German fleet, designed for long-range missions and counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations. Yet, according to the report, they lack integrated air defense systems, making them ill-suited for deployment in open conflict zones like the Red Sea. This has sparked widespread debate within German military circles over the urgent need to upgrade the self-protection systems of these modern warships
