This footage, provided by the French Navy, shows the crew of the frigate FS Lorraine using an Aster Surface to Air Missile (SAM) to destroy what appears to be a Houthi kamikaze drone. At the time of the incident, the Lorraine was escorting three commercial shipping vessels.

The Lorraine is a Aquitaine-class frigate and is relatively new, having been laid down in 2019 and launched just a year later. The Lorraine is part of multi-role frigate program referred to as FREMM- despite being primarily configured for anti-aircraft duty with 32 SAM launchers, she can also fire eight Exocet anti-ship missiles in addition to her guns.

A joint Franco-Italian project, the Aster missile is an anti-aircraft/ anti-ballistic-missile system, which means it was practically tailor-made for the situation in which the Lorraine finds herself.

While the ground war in Gaza is getting most of the media attention, the Houthi anti-shipping campaign continues to grind on. Here's a video of a Danish frigate and crew on a similar protective mission.

About the Author

Cole Simms

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.

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