Escalating Maritime Security Threats in Red Sea
The Red Sea, a vital trade route, has become a target of Houthi rebels, who have intensified attacks on merchant vessels in the past month. Skytek records two ships hijacked, five hit by drones or missiles, multiple boarding attempts initially on ships linked to Israeli ownership, expanding to ships calling at Israeli port, but seemingly more indiscriminate lately.
In a recent series of attacks on December 15th, Houthi rebels targeted merchant ships in the Red Sea, striking one vessel with a drone and launching two ballistic missiles at another ship. These attacks brought the total number of merchant ships targeted in the Bab-El-Mandeb strait to 19 since the escalation of violence in the Gaza conflict.
The Houthis have also targeted navy ships, with the US Navy’s USS Carney (DDG 64) successfully intercepting 14 drone attacks, while the Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond (D34) intercepted two drones, launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on December 16th.
In response to the recent series of attacks, major shipping companies like CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, Yang Ming Marine, Front Line, BP, Equinor, Euronav, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd and MSC have suspended their routes through the Red Sea. OOCL has also halted its services to Israel, and other shipping companies are expected to follow suit.
In a fresh attempt to disrupt maritime traffic, Houthi-controlled militants launched missile attacks targeting the MSC Clara and Swan Atlantic, both vessels having armed security personnel on board, on the morning of December 18th.
As a direct consequence, Skytek has observed more than 60 vessels diverting their routes to pass around Cape of Good Hope to avoid transiting the Red Sea in the past month. A listing sample of the redirected ship is illustrated in Figure 1, along with the estimated additional distance each ship has been compelled to travel. A full list of ships attacked and rerouted away from Red Sea is available in the Satellite Club upon request.
IMO | Vessel Name | Type | Year Built | Flag | Market Value | Departure from | Destination to | % Additional distance via Cape Horn | Distance via Suez | Distance via Cape Horn | Additional Distance via Cape Horn |
9309447 | MSC Rania | Container Ship | 2005 | Panama | ***** | IN MUN | ES LPA | 62.5% | 5,629 Nm | 9,149 Nm | 3,520 Nm |
9407134 | SEASPAN EMERALD | Container Ship | 2009 | Hong Kong, China | ***** | MY PKG | IL HFA | 148.3% | 5,094 Nm | 12,650 Nm | 7,556 Nm |
9908059 | MSC VIRGINIA | Container Ship | 2022 | Liberia | ***** | OM SLL | ES LPA | 79.8% | 4,700 Nm | 8,452 Nm | 3,752 Nm |
9868314 | HMM Le Havre | Container Ship | 2020 | Panama | ***** | ES ALG | SG SIN | 54.2% | 6,991 Nm | 10,781 Nm | 3,790 Nm |
9196864 | MSC Michigan vii | Container Ship | 2000 | Liberia | ***** | CN YTN | GB FXT | 33.4% | 9,838 Nm | 13,124 Nm | 3,286 Nm |
9947134 | MSC Giusy | Container Ship | 2023 | Liberia | ***** | SG SIN | IT GIT | 95.6% | 6,069 Nm | 11,870 Nm | 5,801 Nm |
9244934 | ZIM America | Container Ship | 2003 | Liberia | ***** | VN CMT | ES CAR | 55.7% | 7,432 Nm | 11,569 Nm | 4,137 Nm |
9931288 | MSC Turkiye | Container Ship | 2023 | Liberia | ***** | MY TPP | PT SIE | 47.3% | 7,298 Nm | 10,748 Nm | 3,450 Nm |
9271602 | Winning Ocean | Bulk Carrier | 2003 | Liberia | ***** | CN YTG | FR PDB | 56.9% | 8,146 Nm | 12,784 Nm | 4,638 Nm |
9465289 | MSC Capella | Container Ship | 2012 | Panama | ***** | IN MUN | ES VLC | 118.5% | 4,684 Nm | 10,236 Nm | 5,552 Nm |
9308003 | Navios Summer | Container Ship | 2006 | Marshall Islands | ***** | IL HFA | CN SHG | 81.2% | 7,439 Nm | 13,481 Nm | 6,042 Nm |
9708382 | WIKING | Container Ship | 2016 | Germany | ***** | NL MSV | CN QDG | 30.2% | 10,895 Nm | 14,182 Nm | 3,287 Nm |
9333010 | Maersk Kensington | Container Ship | 2007 | United States Of America | ***** | EG PSD | DJ JIB | 728.9% | 1,368 Nm | 11,339 Nm | 9,971 Nm |
9332975 | Maersk Chicago | Container Ship | 2007 | United States Of America | ***** | IN BOM | EG SZC | 292.9% | 3,000 Nm | 11,787 Nm | 8,787 Nm |
9930038 | MSC Tessa | Container Ship | 2023 | Liberia | ***** | MY TPP | PT SIE | 47.3% | 7,298 Nm | 10,748 Nm | 3,450 Nm |
9755191 | MSC Erica | Container Ship | 2016 | Liberia | ***** | SG SIN | EG PSD | 150.5% | 5,083 Nm | 12,732 Nm | 7,649 Nm |
Figure 1 – record sample of vessels avoiding the Red Sea transiting November 16th to December 16th, 2023
While the safety of the crew, ship, and cargo is paramount, the detours have resulted in an average 130% increase in the length of current voyages, leading to additional bunker consumption, CO2 emissions, and exposure to adverse weather conditions off the coast of South Africa.
Skytek tracked the Ultra Large Container Ship (ULCS) containership HMM Le Havre, which embarked on a voyage from Southampton, UK to Singapore, spanning 8,210 nautical miles. After sailing 3,250 nautical miles, the vessel was instructed to reverse course due to the heightened security threats in the Red Sea. Instead of proceeding through the Suez Canal, it diverted towards Gibraltar, still maintaining Singapore as its designated destination.
After crossing the Mediterranean Sea, the ship’s overall voyage would have spanned a substantial 16,060 nautical miles, nearly doubling the original distance, which is represented in Figure 2. A typically 21-day voyage, re-routing the ship to Singapore via Cape of Good Hope is estimated to take nearly 42 days, requiring an additional 5,000 metric tons of fuel consumption and generating approximately 1.8 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
HMM Le Havre, built in 2020, is a Panama-flagged containership of the Algeciras class, registering 232,606 deadweight tonnes and boasting a length of 400 meters. With a carrying capacity of 24,000 TEU, it is owned and operated by Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM Co., Ltd.) and insured by North P&I.
Responding to the dynamic security threat in the Red Sea, the US announced preparations to lead a multinational coalition in Operation Prosperity Guardian, which represents a significant international effort to safeguard a vital global maritime corridor, demonstrating a unified response to emerging threats in the Red Sea region.
The US and the UK have the highest presence in the region under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and is led by Task Force 153. The coalition brings together multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain and is expected to provide guarded transits to merchant vessels lawfully transiting international waters.
