French frigate successfully defends convoy from Yemeni missile attack

France has announced the successful engagement of one of its frigates in defending a convoy of container ships from ballistic missile attacks originating from Yemen. This marked the combat debut of the French naval unit, which was heralded as a complete success.

The French frigate Alsace, a FREMM-type vessel designed primarily for anti-aircraft operations (FREMM DA), played a pivotal role in the skirmish. It is outfitted with the Herakles radar system, developed by the Thales corporation, and features a 32-cell vertical launching system that can deploy Aster 15 and Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles.

During the confrontation, the missile of choice was the two-stage Aster, spanning approximately 4.3 meters in length and weighing around 510 kilograms. These missiles, capable of engaging targets nearly 120 kilometres away, can perform manoeuvres exerting forces up to 50G and were developed by MBDS corporation.

The incident occurred in March 2023, with France delaying the disclosure by a year. It was reported that the French vessel while patrolling the Red Sea, identified incoming ballistic missiles aimed not only at itself but also at nearby civilian trading ships.

Upon identifying the incoming projectiles travelling at approximately Mach 5, the French naval forces decided to take action and successfully neutralize the threat. The Defence 24 website provides detailed insights into the incident, highlighting that the French approach to engaging fast-moving targets proved effective, marking a departure from strategies typically employed by the American military.

This distinction primarily lies in the radar systems’ configuration and operation. Unlike American ships equipped with the AEGIS combat system, which utilizes fixed wall-mounted antennas for continuous surveillance without interruption, the French frigate utilizes the rotating Herakles radar. Despite potential gaps in tracking due to the rotation of the antenna, this did not hinder the capability of the Aster missiles to locate and eliminate their targets accurately.