French Navy warship sinks hostile unmanned boat threatening tanker in Red Sea

A French Navy warship successfully engaged and sank an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) being used in a failed attack against a commercial vessel in the Red Sea on Thursday, August 22.

The successful interception was conducted by a French Navy destroyer that had been ordered to sail to an area off the coast of Yemen one day after the Greek-operated tanker Sounion came under attack from unidentified forces on Wednesday, August 21.

The destroyer detected the approaching USV, which was laden with explosives. The larger warship then opened fire on the unmanned craft, successfully sinking it, before moving alongside the tanker to evacuate its 29-strong crew.

The destroyer was operating as part of Operation ASPIDES, an EU maritime security initiative that was launched earlier this year. Operation ASPIDES ensures an EU naval presence in the area where numerous attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have targeted international commercial vessels since October 2023.

The operation is active along the main sea lines of communication in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.