According to a report by the French newspaper Le Monde, a French frigate recently shot down a drone near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea after the warship deemed it a threat to a CMA CGM container ship entering the Red Sea.

The report said that at the time, CMA CGM’s ultra-large container ship “CMA CGM Champs Elysee” was transiting the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The French frigate shot down the drone it “considered a threat.”

The “CMA CGM Champs Elysee” has a capacity of 23,112 TEU, is 400 meters long and is LNG-powered. According to CMA CGM’s published schedule, the ship departed Singapore on September 20, passed through the Suez Canal on October 3, and is expected to arrive in Le Havre on October 16.

CMA CGM has been at the forefront of returning to Red Sea routes. The Suez Canal Authority previously emphasized the company’s increased use of the route. Unlike many competitors, CMA CGM has not completely abandoned the Red Sea route, but instead uses escort operations to help protect its ships.

As of the end of August, the Suez Canal Authority reported that 199 CMA CGM vessels with a net cargo tonnage of 5.2 million tons had passed through the Suez Canal. By comparison, in the full year of 2025, a total of 212 CMA CGM vessels carrying 18.8 million tons passed through the Suez Canal.