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War in the Middle East: aboard the French frigate in the Red Sea
War in the Middle East: aboard the French frigate in the Red Sea
(France 2)
Since the Israeli army bombed Gaza, boats traveling on the Red Sea have been targeted by attacks by Yemeni rebels. Exclusively, the France Télévisions teams were able to board the French frigate which is trying to intercept the missiles.
For the first time, France Télévisions journalists embarked on a French anti-aircraft frigate on a mission in the Red Sea. The area is under permanent threat from Houthi missiles and drones. On board, tension is extreme, because missiles have just been fired from the coast of Yemen. At the operations center, the decision was quickly made to fire. Several air defense missiles are launched. To neutralize the attack from the Houthi rebels, the sailors used 76 millimeter shells.
A quasi-permanent state of alert
The French sailors on the deck of the frigate are marked by these rare war scenes. “Today, experiencing it in real life is special”, says one of them. The crew of 140 men has been on almost permanent alert since the start of patrols on the Red Sea. The French frigate’s mission is to ensure the protection of commercial ships. On board, a helicopter sets off daily to spot drones from the sky.
When an attack is spotted, until the last moment, the crew does not know if the frigate is directly targeted. The European defensive operation in the Red Sea will continue as long as the Israelis continue their bombing of Gaza. The Houthis say they will continue to target ships linked to Israeli interests, in support of the Palestinian cause.
