Dutch frigate deployed to Cyprus with main gun ‘inoperable’

The Dutch air defence frigate HNLMS Evertsen has begun operations in Cypriot maritime waters despite its main naval gun being temporarily out of action, with the ship’s commander insisting the defect does not affect its mission.

Speaking on Friday after the vessel reached the eastern Mediterranean, commander Marcel Keveling assured that the ship retained capabilities to carry out its defensive role.

“I have sufficient alternative weapons systems,” he informed Dutch media, emphasising that the frigate’s primary function in the region is air defence rather than surface combat.

The vessel was deployed as part of a multinational naval presence supporting the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle following rising security concerns after an Iranian made drone struck RAF Akrotiri last week.

According to the commander, the ship is now operating close to Cyprus with a crew of around 180 personnel.

“There are about 180 people on board. It is like a small floating village,” he remarked.

The Evertsen, an advanced air defence and command frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy, has been tasked with monitoring and protecting the airspace around the multinational fleet operating in the Levant.

Equipped with sophisticated radar and sensor systems, the vessel is designed to detect threats at long range and share that information with allied forces.

“We are creating a complete picture of the airspace,” Keveling said. “We want to know what is flying around us, aircraft, missiles, drones or anything else.”

He added that the ship’s crew continuously monitors the surrounding airspace.

“We can share this information with our allies,” he said.

The deployment forms part of a broader defensive effort coordinated by European and allied forces following heightened tensions linked to the wider Middle East conflict and the recent drone incident on Cypriot soil.

Several countries have dispatched naval assets to the region in recent days.

Alongside the French carrier group, Italian and Spanish frigates are also operating in the eastern Mediterranean, while Greece has sent four F-16s and two naval vessels to Cyprus as part of the broader defensive posture.

The Dutch government has described the deployment as limited in scope and defensive in nature.

The Evertsen’s malfunctioning naval cannon has attracted criticism in the Netherlands after it emerged that the weapon system installed during a recent refit is currently not operational.

Dutch defence minister Dilan Yesilgoz acknowledged the defect but downplayed its significance.

She said the cannon is primarily intended for engaging surface vessels or land-based targets and is not essential for the ship’s present role.

The Evertsen’s core capabilities instead rely on its missile systems and advanced radar suite, which allow it to track threats at considerable distances and intercept hostile aircraft, missiles or drones.

“If something is directed at us or our allies, we must be able to react effectively,” Keveling said.

He stressed that the mission remains strictly defensive.

“This is not about offensive operations,” he said, describing the deployment as part of a wider effort to protect allied forces operating in the region.

The frigate’s deployment is currently expected to last until early April, when authorities in the Netherlands will decide whether to extend the ship’s presence in the eastern Mediterranean.