[1][2] Amsterdam was constructed to merchant ship standards with military nuclear, biological and chemical damage control.

[2] The ship was capable of operating three Westland Lynx or two AgustaWestland AW101/Westland Sea King/NHIndustries NH90 helicopters from its flight deck in Dutch service.

The hull was taken to the Royal Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen to be completed and began sea trials on 3 April 1995.

The vessel was accepted by the Royal Netherlands Navy on 10 July 1995 and Amsterdam was commissioned on 2 September 1995.

In 1998, Amsterdam was one of the Dutch warships that participated in one of the largest NATO military exercises to that date off Spain.

[3] In November 2001, Amsterdam was assigned to NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT).

This was followed by a deployment to Curacao in the Caribbean Sea to take over station duties until 2005, when the ship returned to European waters.

[3] Amsterdam deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Enduring Freedom during 2005/2006 and provided assistance to two US naval vessels after a battle they had fought with pirates on 18 March 2006.

The vessel then returned to Caribbean waters, operating with British, French, Canadian and American forces in the region.

[3] The ship was assigned in December 2010 to the coast of Côte d'Ivoire in order to assist in a possible evacuation of European Union citizens from the country in the wake of unrest after the 2010 presidential election.

[4] In 2012–2013, Amsterdam was assigned to the Dutch Caribbean force, intercepting drug smugglers, before returning to the Mediterranean in mid-2014.