EU's Kallas says Red Sea naval mission needs more than 10 ships

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea would need more than 10 warships, its foreign policy chief said on Monday, adding that for now there weren’t that many in the area.

"When Aspides (the EU military operation) was put in place, then the indication was that it needs at least 10 ships. The situation, I think, is even more grave right now," she told reporters on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Kallas last week sent a letter to member states asking them to contribute more naval andair assets in the region, diplomats said.

(Reporting by John Irish; editing by Michelle Nichols )