The French Defence Ministry reported the French Navy frigate Languedoc shot down two drones targeting a ship launched by northern Yemen late last night.
The multi-purpose frigate Languedoc deployed in the Red Sea for a national maritime security mission intercepted the drones as they were heading directly towards it, the military headquarters said in a statement.
Last week, Houthis attacked two ships off the coast of Yemen, including one flying the Bahamas flag, claiming they belonged to Israelis, but the incident was the first time a French military vessel had been attacked by Houthis since the war between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October.
On 1 November 2023, Yemen’s Houthi militia launched a series of ballistic missiles and drones towards Israeli territory. On 9 December 2023, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced their intention to attack ships passing through the Red Sea towards Israel, regardless of whether those ships are affiliated with Israel.
Yemen’s Houthi militia repeatedly launched ballistic missiles and drones towards Eilat, but all were either intercepted or failed to reach their intended targets.
The French frigate Languedoc, a key component of the FREMM programme, demonstrated remarkable versatility and advanced technology. Its armoury includes Aster 15 and 30 surface-to-air missiles, Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles and MU90 torpedoes. In addition, the ship is equipped with advanced sonar systems that allow it to detect and track submarines with high efficiency.
