Between May 6 and May 7, a series of hostile actions unfolded in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, attributed to Houthis.
According to US Central Command, on May 6, three uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) were launched over the Gulf of Aden, posing a significant threat to coalition forces and merchant vessels. Two of these UAS were successfully engaged and neutralized by coalition and U.S. Central Command forces, while the third crashed into the Gulf of Aden without causing any harm.
On 06 May, 🇮🇹 ITS FASAN, while providing close protection to MV in the Gulf of Aden, successfully repelled UAVs attacks coming from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen and posing an imminent threat to the freedom of navigation. During this operation, ITS FASAN shot down 1 UAV. pic.twitter.com/5qk7h8pZkZ
— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) May 7, 2024
Subsequently, on May 7, another alarming incident occurred when an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was launched over the Gulf of Aden by the Houthis. Fortunately, no injuries or damages were reported to any U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels.
UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 070 Update 001
07 MAY 2024https://t.co/6mNrG6W5iO#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/g50r03vcyR— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) May 7, 2024
According to Maersk, the effects of the situation in the Red Sea are widening and continuing to cause industry-wide disruptions. As the company said in a statement, the knock-on effects of the situation have included bottlenecks and vessel bunching, as well as delays and equipment and capacity shortages.
We estimate an industry wide capacity loss of 15-20% on the Far East to North Europe and Mediterranean market during Q2.
… stated Maersk
