Multinational Mine Countermeasures Force Moves Toward Red Sea Clearance

A multinational mine-countermeasures task force led by the Royal Navy entered the Middle East in June 2024 under the direction of Commander Gemma Britton. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Lyme Bay, configured as an afloat forward support base, and German vessels FGS Mosel and FGS Fulda joined Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon for a transit through the Suez Canal on 19 June and onward into the Red Sea. The force is prepared to conduct mine-hunting under EU Operation ASPIDES, but any clearance work depends on political authorisation.

Navy Lookout

RFA Lyme Bay carries over 270 personnel from the UK, France and other services and is equipped with CIWS, 30 mm cannons, portable command modules and autonomous USVs Ariadne, Halcyon and the French Sirius. FGS Fulda, a Frankenthal-class minehunter with a non-magnetic hull and sonar, operates a crew of about 45 and can deploy divers or an ROV. FGS Mosel, an Elbe-class support ship, supplies fuel, water, ammunition, spare parts and medical facilities for smaller vessels.

Navy Lookout

Operation ASPIDES aims to protect merchant shipping from Houthi attacks. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called the deployment precautionary and said German participation requires a new Bundestag mandate, with a vote expected before the summer recess on 10 July and subject to preconditions such as a durable end to hostilities, an international legal mandate and consent from Iran and Oman. The United Kingdom and France have coordinated planning since spring, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron publicly endorsing the multinational effort.

Navy Lookout

Observers note that the equipment has arrived before political authorisation, creating a capability-politics gap. German officials stress a “permissive environment” before involvement. The Royal Navy’s main Middle-East base in Bahrain remains exposed to Iranian drone strikes, and reaching it would require a high-risk transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The swift deployment of HMS Dragon to Cyprus earlier in the year sparked criticism of the Navy’s rapid-response capacity.

Navy Lookout

Operation ASPIDES aims to reopen Gulf of Aden and Red Sea lanes blocked since the February conflict. Sources estimate about 450 merchant vessels remain stranded. Clearing mines would lower Houthi-attack risk and restore a vital trade corridor.

Navy Lookout

• March 2024: HMS Dragon dispatched east to the Mediterranean.

Navy Lookout

• 9 May 2024: HMS Dragon transits the Suez Canal, joins French carrier strike group.

Navy Lookout

• 18 June 2024: RFA Lyme Bay departs Port Said, Egypt.

Navy Lookout

• 19 June 2024: RFA Lyme Bay transits the Suez Canal; force enters Red Sea.

Navy Lookout

• 23 June 2024: German vessels detach for resupply in Djibouti.

Navy Lookout

The German Bundestag’s forthcoming vote will determine whether FGS Fulda and FGS Mosel can engage in active mine clearance. Concurrent diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran aim to sustain a ceasefire that could facilitate access to the Strait. HMS Dragon’s deployment is projected to continue for at least six months, providing air-defence and escort capabilities while political negotiations progress.

Navy Lookout