In 1995, "Vasco de Gama" spent five months deployed in the Adriatic Sea as part of Operation Sharp Guard, enforcing economic sanctions and an arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia, with the frigate inspecting 91 merchant ships during the deployment. In July 1998, she was deployed off Guinea-Bissau to rescue Portuguese and other European citizens threatened by the Guinea-Bissau Civil War. "Vasco da Gama" was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 16 November 1999 to 22 February 2000.