Italian Frigate Accompanies Commercial Ship in the Red Sea as Part of European Mission to Protect Navigation

The European Union announced that an Italian frigate of the "CAIO DUILIO" class, operating under the EUNAVFOR ASPIDES mission, carried out its first escort mission for a commercial ship in the Red Sea during September, as part of international efforts to protect shipping traffic west of Yemen.

In a statement from the European maritime operation via the "X" platform, it was noted that the Italian frigate "successfully completed a close protection operation for a commercial ship in the area of operations," indicating that this mission follows three similar operations carried out in August, the last of which was about ten days ago.

Since the launch of the "ASPIDES" operation in February 2024 until August 2025, European naval forces have provided support and protection for more than 1,050 commercial ships across the southern part of the Red Sea, which is experiencing increasing threats from Houthi attacks.

The operation's leadership confirmed that its mission is purely defensive in nature, aiming to enhance regional stability and ensure the safety of sailors and protect global supply lines.