The ship was originally designed to fulfill patrol and intervention tasks against lightly armed opponents, such as pirates and smugglers.

However, she also has very advanced electronic and radar surveillance capabilities which are used for military stabilisation and security roles, short of outright war.

On 6 February 2014, Zeeland rescued seven of the eleven passengers of an overturned boat while it was on its way to the Dutch Caribbean to fulfill patrol duties.

[8] Zeeland and Pelikaan had an important role in the emergency assistance to Sint Maarten, St Eustatius and Saba after hurricane Irma had hit the island in September 2017.

[9] Around 01:30 on the night of 4 July 2022 a fire broke out in an electrical room while undergoing maintenance in drydock at de Nieuwe Haven Naval Base.