From the Duilio to the Fasan, the Italian ships that shot down Houthi drones

The latest was the Virginio Fasan ship. On Tuesday 7 May the EU mission Aspides , in the Red Sea, reported on its X account that the Italian Navy ship had shot down a drone in the Gulf of Aden. On 6 May, the ship Fasan 'successfully repelled drone attacks from Houthi controlled territories in Yemen, which pose an imminent threat to freedom of navigation. During this operation, the Fasan shot down a drone,' the EU mission reported.

This is not the first time that a navy frigate has shot down a drone in that area, and as part of that mission. The first had been the Duilio, in early March. On 29 April, it was the Fasan's first: engaged in the close protection of a European merchant ship, the frigate shot down a drone in the Red Sea, near the Strait of Bab El Mandeb. The drone, with similar characteristics to those already used in previous Houthi attacks, was about 5 kilometres from the Italian ship, in the direction of the escorted merchant ship.

The European operation aims to defend merchant ships from Houthi attacks, which began in November 2023. Supported by Iran, the Houthis are able to attack the ships from land, using drones, missiles, and barges.

In the area of ensuring freedom of navigation and the safety of trade routes, on 24 April the Fasan took over in the port of Djibouti from the destroyer Caio Duilio as the headquarters unit of the Eunavfor Aspides tactical command (Flagship). Nave Fasan thus returned to sail in the Red Sea three months after her previous maritime surveillance activity, which had seen her engaged as the first Italian unit when the attacks launched by the Houti against merchant shipping began.

Nave Virginio Fasan, reads the Ministry of Defence website, is the second of the Fremm (European Multi-Mission Frigate) class frigates and the first in ASW (Anti Submarine Warfare) configuration. Built at Fincantieri's Riva Trigoso shipyard, the ship was launched on 31 March 2012 and then transported to the Muggiano shipyard for the completion of outfitting and trials. Nave Virginio Fasan was delivered to the Navy on 19 December 2013. It is currently based in the port of La Spezia and is under the command of the 2nd Naval Group Command.