Direct proof of use
The Sachsen class / F124 frigate is directly documented in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis through Germany's deployment of FGS Hessen to EUNAVFOR Aspides. Bundeswehr reporting says Germany began participating in Aspides on February 23, 2024, initially with the 124-class frigate Hessen, and described the ship as an air-defense frigate suited to protecting vessels against multidimensional attacks.
Hessen used its weapons during the deployment. The Bundeswehr said the frigate successfully engaged two unmanned aerial drones on February 27, 2024 while patrolling in the southern Red Sea. EUNAVFOR Aspides later reported that FGS Hessen engaged and destroyed a Houthi uncrewed surface vessel on March 21 while protecting a merchant vessel of EU interest south of the Red Sea.
The German Federal Ministry of Defence summarized the deployment by saying Hessen escorted 27 merchant ships from February 23 to April 19, 2024 and successfully engaged Houthi drones and missiles in four cases.
Sources: Red Sea - EUNAVFOR Aspides | Bundeswehr, Erste Waffeneinsaetze der Fregatte Hessen | Bundeswehr, FGS Hessen destroys Unmanned Sea Vehicle | EEAS, Fregatte Hessen beendet Einsatz | BMVg
Deployment and engagements
The EU launched EUNAVFOR Aspides on February 19, 2024 as a defensive maritime-security operation for freedom of navigation in the Red Sea crisis. Germany's Bundestag mandate followed on February 23, and Hessen was assigned to protect shipping in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb operating area.
Bundeswehr reporting records an unsuccessful February 26 engagement attempt against a drone, attributed after initial assessment to a shipboard technical fault that was quickly corrected. The following day, Hessen detected and successfully engaged two drones in separate events about fifteen minutes apart while operating in its assigned southern Red Sea patrol region.
On March 21, EUNAVFOR Aspides said Hessen destroyed a Houthi uncrewed surface vessel that was coming from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen and posed a direct threat to freedom of navigation. The German defence ministry's April 20 release closed the deployment record by noting 27 escorted merchant vessels and four successful engagements against Houthi drones and missiles.
Sources: Council Launches EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, Red Sea - EUNAVFOR Aspides | Bundeswehr, Erste Waffeneinsaetze der Fregatte Hessen | Bundeswehr, FGS Hessen destroys Unmanned Sea Vehicle | EEAS, Fregatte Hessen beendet Einsatz | BMVg
Operational role
Hessen's documented role in the crisis was merchant-shipping protection, naval air defense, and force protection for the EU maritime mission. Bundeswehr material identifies the F124 as an air-defense frigate with SMART-L surveillance radar, APAR fire control, SM-2, ESSM, RAM, guns, and decoys for defending against airborne threats.
The public official record identifies the ship and broad threat categories more clearly than individual weapon rounds used in each engagement. The usage record therefore supports Sachsen-class employment in the conflict and documented defensive outcomes, while leaving exact munition attribution for individual drone, missile, or surface-vessel engagements to sources that explicitly name those weapons.
Sources: Red Sea - EUNAVFOR Aspides | Bundeswehr, Erste Waffeneinsaetze der Fregatte Hessen | Bundeswehr, Fregatte Hessen beendet Einsatz | BMVg
