The German frigate FGS Nordrhein-Westfalen arrived at the port of Limassol on Sunday, joining a growing fleet of international military vessels which have deployed to Cyprus amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The ship’s arrival comes after Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis had said earlier in the week that Germany was to assist in “preventative measures” being taken to protect the island after it was hit by an Iranian-made drone on Monday.

“Following the communication that [President Nikos Christodoulides] had with the chancellor of Germany [Friedrich Merz] regarding … German assistance in the preventative measures being taken, as Greece and France have done, today, the heads of the armed forces of the two countries had contact at an operational level,” he said.

Germany’s sending of a frigate comes after numerous other Nato and European Union member states have sent military assets to the island and its vicinity, with France’s Languedoc frigate having arrived in Cypriot waters on Wednesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron had also announced that the aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle will also be deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. It is believed that the aircraft carrier and its strike group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on Friday.

Meanwhile, Italy has announced its intention to send the Federico Martinego frigate to Cyprus, while Spain is to send the Cristobal Colon frigate.

Greece had sent four F-16 fighter jets to the island last Monday, as well as two frigates, including the Kimon, which was described by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday as the “pride of the Greek fleet”.

Following the deployment of Greek F-16s, Turkey then deployed four F-16s of its own, which are set to arrive on the island on Sunday.

The United Kingdom, meanwhile, which operates and holds sovereignty over the Akrotiri air force base, which was hit by Monday’s drone, has sent two AW159 Wildcat helicopters, armed with anti-drone missiles, to Cyprus, while the HMS Dragon Type 45 destroyer warship also expected to depart from Portsmouth within the coming days.

Later, the BBC reported that the UK is considering sending an aircraft carrier in the island’s direction, quoting “defence sources” as having said that the crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been given notice that the ship must set sail from Portsmouth in five days.

Additionally, last week British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that Cyprus, and more specifically Akrotiri, has been used as the launchpad for missions aimed at engaging and shooting down drones fired from Iran.

Those operations are being led by F-35 fighter jets, which have been stationed in Cyprus since last month.