A MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle prepares to land after a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
German Frigate Hessen fired twice at a United States MQ-9 combat drone over the Red Sea and both the interceptors failed, in an embarrassing friendly fire incident.
In a report titled “Embarrassment for our Navy in the Red Sea” published on February 28, the German tabloid Bild said that the radar systems of the frigate mistakenly identified an MQ-9 flying above it as hostile. As a result, the warship fired two American-made SM-2 interceptor missiles at it on February 26.
The missiles failed to reach their target due to technical reasons, instead falling into the sea without achieving their objective.
The incident demonstrated the partially dire state of the German army under Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, according to the report.
Michael Stempfle, a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense, said that when the drone was targeted and fired upon, it was not immediately clear which country the drone belonged to or whether it was associated with any of the allied nations.
Following the initial uncertainty about the drone’s origin or affiliation, the Hessen made an attempt to shoot down the drone. The frigate was however unsuccessful in its endeavor.
“The situation resolved itself in the sense that it was not a hostile drone, as it was determined only afterward,” Stempfle said.
Stempfle pointed out that prior to the firing incident, the Hessen had communicated with all allied nations to inquire about the presence of their drones in the operational area. However, none of the allied nations reported having their own drones in that area at that time.
The Hessen arrived in the Red Sea at the weekend as part of a European Union mission to help the U.S. counter the Houthis (Ansar Allah), who have been targeting Israel-affiliated ships from Yemen in response to the war on the Gaza Strip.
On February 28, the frigate successfully shot down two Houthi drones in the space of 15 minutes, according to the German Ministry of Defense.
Shortages and maintenance problems have for long troubled the German military. The embarrassing friendly fire incident in the Red Sea shows that German troops also lack both proper training and combat experience.
Despite these serious issues, the German government appears to be more interested in fighting for the U.S. and Israel’s in the Middle East as well as in providing military support to Ukraine against Russia.
