Foreign minister Tom Berendsen and defence minister Dilan Yeşilgöz said in a briefing to parliament that the deployment follows a request from France and will focus on protecting countries in the region, including EU partner Cyprus and Nato ally Turkey.

The Evertsen will operate alongside the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort vessels, providing air defence and helping shield ships in the fleet from missiles and drones.

The ministers stress in their briefing the mission is defensive in nature and intended mainly as a deterrent. The frigate had already been conducting exercises with the French carrier group in the Baltic Sea before the government decided last week that it should accompany the task force to the Mediterranean.

The Evertsen is designed to protect entire fleets against threats from the air and sea. Its radar systems can detect aircraft, missiles and drones at long range, allowing early warnings and, if necessary, interception.

About 170 crew members serve on board the vessel, which is one of four Dutch air defence and command frigates capable of coordinating complex naval operations.

The deployment is expected to last until early April. Operational command will lie with the French carrier group, although the Dutch military retains final authority over the use of the frigate.

The government said the impact on security in the Netherlands is likely to be limited but acknowledged there could be consequences. “It is conceivable that a Dutch military deployment in the region could increase the threat towards our country,” the ministers said.

Tensions in the region have escalated since the outbreak of fighting between Iran, Israel and the United States earlier this month. Several countries in the region have already reported drone or missile incidents, including Cyprus, where a British base was hit by a drone believed to have come from Lebanon.