INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE – The French ship returns from a 71-day mission to escort commercial ships threatened by rebels. The French Navy had not experienced “engagement with this level of armament” for a very long time, according to its commander Jérôme Henry.
Captain Jérôme Henry is the commander of the multi-mission frigate (FREMM) Alsace since July 2023. He returned from 71 days of mission in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where his ship escorted commercial ships attacked by Houthi rebels as part of the European operation ASPIDES.
Marie BAILLY / Ministry of the Armed Forces
LE FIGARO.- You have returned from several weeks of mission in the Red Sea, aboard the frigate Alsace . You who were on the front line, how do you describe the situation there? What threat do the Houthis really pose?
We did not necessarily expect this level of threat. There was an uninhibited violence that was quite surprising and very significant. The Houthis do not hesitate to use drones that fly at water level, to explode them on commercial ships, and to fire ballistic missiles. We had to provide at least half a dozen assistances following Houthi strikes. We noticed major fires…
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