Operation Prosperity Guardian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Prosperity Guardian
Part of the Red Sea crisis and the Yemeni civil war
Map of the missile strikes, 12 January 2024.
Date 18 December 2023 – present (1 year) Location Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Yemen Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Yemen (SPC) Houthi movement	United States  United Kingdom  Australia  Bahrain  Canada  Denmark  Germany  Greece  Netherlands  Norway  Singapore  Sri Lanka Supported by:  South Korea  New Zealand  Seychelles
Commanders and leaders
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi Mohamed al-Atifi Mahdi al-Mashat Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour	Joe Biden Lloyd Austin Rishi Sunak Grant Shapps
Strength
Unclear (see Houthi armed strength)	Unknown
Casualties and losses
15 deaths, 8 injured	Unknown

Operation Prosperity Guardian is a United States-led military operation by a multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Following the breakout of the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, the Houthi movement in Yemen blockaded Israel in the Red Sea and launched a series of attacks against commercial vessels heading or related to Israel. On 18 December 2023, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of an international maritime security force aimed at ending the blockade and countering threats by Houthi forces against international maritime commerce in the region.

The coalition currently has more than 20 members, of which ten are anonymously involved. Egypt and Saudi Arabia, both economically reliant on unhindered commercial shipping in the area, are absent from the listed participants. The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Usama Rabia, claimed that "navigation traffic in the Suez Canal was not affected by what is happening in the Red Sea". Nevertheless, on 9 January, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution demanding a cessation of Houthi attacks on merchant vessels.

The day of the UNSC resolution, the Houthis launched their largest-ever barrage of 18-24 attack drone and missile at international ships and warships in the Red Sea. In response, on 12 January, the coalition launched its first airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, to which the Houthis have pledged to retaliate.

Background

The operation aims to ensure both the freedom of navigation and the safety of maritime traffic in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. Following the start of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, multiple civilian container and freight ships were attacked and hijacked in the Gulf of Aden by Houthi forces. Houthi forces stated that only vessels with links to Israel are targeted, though vessels without links to Israel have been targeted, possibly due to misidentification from many vessels turning off their automatic identification system signal during transit. The Houthis claim the attacks will end if Israel allows humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza; the attempted blockade is seen as a way to pressure Israel's Western allies to work to restrain Israeli operations in the war. The attacks prompted many major shipping companies to divert their routes away from the Suez Canal. As of 1 January  2024 (2024 -01-01)^[update], at least seventeen civilian vessels have been attacked.

The waterways to and from the Red Sea are shipping chokepoints for the global economy which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal with the Horn of Africa. This had led to the 2023 situation being dubbed "a new Suez Crisis" by The Economist.

In the first week of January the daily average of transiting vessels included 105 bulk carriers and 58 tankers, down from 115 bulk carriers and 70 tankers the week before.

Forces

Combined Task Force 153, under control of the U.S. Combined Maritime Forces, will control the vessels of the operation, which currently includes the United States Navy's Carrier Strike Group 2. This strike group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its escorting Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Gravely, USS Laboon and USS Mason. Other countries' vessels involved include the British destroyer HMS Diamond with Denmark and Greece both announcing plans to send one frigate each.

The Netherlands plans to send two staff officers. Norway plans on dispatching up to ten staff officers, but as of 21 December is not sending any vessels. Australia announced that it will send 11 military personnel but rejected a US request to send a warship. Denmark announced that it would send an officer, and on 29 December announced that it will send a frigate.

Canada is sending three staff officers by way of Operation Artemis. The Canadian Armed Forces will deploy an unspecified number of land, air and sea support vehicles. Seychelles is not deploying any vessels or personnel, and limits its participation to "providing and receiving information" as a member of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) (which is based in Bahrain).

Singapore will be deploying a team from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s Information Fusion Centre to support information sharing and engagement outreach to the commercial shipping community, as well as a senior national representative to the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

Timeline

A US Navy F/A-18 fighter jet taking off at night prior to the 2024 Yemeni airstrikes.

A missile being launched from a U.S. Navy vessel, prior to the 2024 Yemeni airstrikes.

On 12 January 2024, the U.S. and UK, with support from Australia, Canada, South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands and Bahrain, launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Attacks on shipping

List of attacks after the announcent of Operation Prosperity Guardian

Ship	Flag	Date	Attack Type	Details	Losses	Ref
Blaamanen	Norway	23 December 2023	One-way drone attack	Attack failure; no damage. Owner and operator Hansa Tankers (Norwegian).
Sai Baba	Gabon	23 December 2023	Drone strike	Struck by a one-way attack drone; no injuries reported.
MSC United VIII	Liberia	26 December 2023	Naval missile attack	Several explosions near the vessel; no injuries reported.
Maersk Hangzhou	Singapore	30–31 December 2023	Anti-ship missile attack / attempted piracy	Militants attacked, hit vessel; no injuries. Failed hijacking attempt on 31 December.	10 Houthis dead / 3 gunboats
St. Nikolas	Greece	11 January 2024	Hijack	Oil tanker boarded and commandeered by commando 50 nautical miles (93 km) east of Sohar, Oman, last tracked apparently headed towards Bandar Abbas, Iran. Owner, Empire Navigation. Crew, 18 Filipino, one Greek. Charterer, Tupras (Turkey).

See also

In Spanish: Operación Guardián de la Prosperidad para niños