French Frigate Shoots Down Missile Near Belgian Minehunter In Bab el-Mandeb Strait

A French Navy frigate shot down a ballistic missile near the Belgian minehunter BNS Primula in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on October 13, the French military said.

The French Armed Forces General Staff confirmed the incident on October 27. It said the frigate detected and intercepted the missile while escorting the Belgian ship. The military described the action as defensive but said it could not determine the missile’s final path.

No one was injured, and no damage was reported. There is no evidence that Primula was the target. As of October 26, no group had claimed responsibility for launching the missile. France and Belgium had not blamed Yemen’s Houthi group.

Bab el-Mandeb lies between Yemen and the African countries of Djibouti and Eritrea. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is used by ships travelling between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Belgian newspaper De Morgen first reported the incident on October 26, citing unnamed sources. Belgium’s defence authorities later confirmed it to public broadcaster VRT NWS.

France has not named the frigate involved or said which weapon it used. The incident is under investigation, VRT NWS reported.

In an update covering October 8-15, the French military said a FREMM frigate was operating in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden as part of the European Union’s Operation Aspides.

The French frigate Languedoc was also in the region, but there is no confirmation that it was involved in the missile interception.

The missile’s intended target remains unknown. Belgian officials have also said there is no evidence that Primula was targeted.

BNS Primula is a Belgian Tripartite-class minehunter based in Zeebrugge. It has been operating south of the Arabian Peninsula while waiting for approval to take part in a possible mine clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship left Zeebrugge on May 28 with the Royal Netherlands Navy minehunter HNLMS Willemstad. Both vessels were sent to join NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group Two in the Mediterranean.

Belgium said the deployment would allow it to take part in possible mine clearance work in the Strait of Hormuz, if the government gives political approval.

Belgian Navy commander Tanguy Botman has said Primula cannot defend itself against all threats in a hostile area and needs protection from other warships.

In the latest incident, a French frigate was escorting the minehunter when it intercepted the missile. Officials have not said whether the missile was aimed at Primula, the frigate or another vessel.

The missile interception came after another incident involving a French warship in Bab el-Mandeb.

On the night of October 1-2, the French frigate Languedoc used its main gun to shoot down a drone it considered a threat. At the time, it was escorting the container ship CMA CGM Champs Elysées through the strait, according to the French military and Le Monde.

The container ship was travelling from the Red Sea towards the Indian Ocean. The French military confirmed that the drone had been shot down.

There is no evidence linking the drone incident to the later missile interception.

French FREMM frigates carry Aster surface-to-air missiles. The longer-range Aster 30, fitted to air-defence versions and certain other FREMM frigates, can also intercept ballistic missiles.

France has used the system before. On March 21, 2024, the air-defence frigate Alsace shot down three ballistic missiles launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen while protecting merchant ships in the southern Red Sea. It used Aster 30 missiles.

The French military has not said whether an Aster missile was used in the October 13 incident. The investigation is continuing. The missile’s target and who launched it remain unknown.