A French escort frigate intercepted a ballistic missile near the Belgian Navy minehunter Primula in the Bab el-Mandeb around 14 October, Belgian authorities confirmed. The incident occurred as the Tripartite-class vessel operated south of the Arabian Peninsula and prepared for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Primula lacks the air-defence systems needed to counter incoming missiles and was travelling under French protection.
The missile was intercepted near the strait linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, close to Yemen. There is no indication that Primula was the intended target. Possible explanations include a stray missile or a warning shot, but neither France nor Belgium has attributed the launch. The Houthi movement has been suggested as the likely source because of the location, although this remains unconfirmed.
France has opened an investigation into the incident. The identity of the French frigate and the interceptor missile have not been disclosed. A French FREMM frigate was operating in the region under the European Union’s Operation Aspides, but there is no official confirmation that the vessel was Languedoc or that an Aster 30 was used. Belgian naval authorities and Defence Minister Theo Francken have not publicly commented.