Prince Harry is to be deployed to Iraq for a six-month tour of duty, prompting fears he could become a prime target for insurgents.

The 22-year-old prince, who is third in line to the throne, becomes the first senior royal to serve on the front line since his uncle, Prince Andrew, served in the Falklands conflict in 1982. His Blues and Royals regiment will be deployed as part of a long-planned rotation of troops.

The announcement, confirmed jointly by the Ministry of Defence and Clarence House, comes 24 hours after Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined the first step in a phased withdrawal of British forces by declaring 1600 troops would return within the next few months.

While in Iraq, the prince, who is said to be determined to see action in the front line, will carry out "a normal troop commander's role", a statement said. Known to colleagues as Troop Commander Wales, he is able to lead reconnaissance units known as the Army's "eyes and ears".

But the deployment of the younger son of the late Princess Diana on Operation Telic may be a security headache for military commanders as the prince could be a target for insurgents and a magnet for suicide bombers.

"This is like President Bush sending a son to the front line. The decision is both dangerous and courageous," said one royal observer. "It is a success for Harry but he has become the number-one target for insurgents."

Michael Clarke, a professor of war studies at King's College University in London, said it was likely insurgent groups would be attracted to Harry's unit: "In a sense, his celebrity might be a factor in making the security situation for his troop more dangerous."

But Mr Clarke said banning Harry from going to Iraq would have done more harm than good: "He would be appalled if his troop went to do something without his command, and they would be too. If he didn't go, it would be very bad for the morale of the troop. It's like a family."

The prince, who as a second lieutenant has the rank of cornet in his regiment, had reportedly threatened to quit the Army if not allowed to serve on the front line. He has trained as a troop commander and will be leading 12 men in four Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles.

"The last thing I said was there's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country," he once said. "That may sound very patriotic, but it's true. It's not the way anyone should really work."

The prince will be in line for his first operational medal, the Iraq Medal, on his return.

Having graduated as an Army officer in April last year, he became an armoured reconnaissance troop leader six months later.

"The decision to deploy him has been a military one, made by Chief of General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, in conjunction with Cornet Wales's commanding officer," a statement said. "The royal household has been consulted throughout."

Further details of exactly where Harry would serve, or his specific role, would not be released because such a move would be "potentially dangerous", the statement added.

"The Ministry of Defence and Clarence House are writing to ask all media organisations to respect this matter of operational security in order that Cornet Wales can undertake a normal tour of duty, which is his express wish and that of the Army," it said.

A Blues and Royals source said Harry was "over the moon" at the deployment.

Defence Secretary Des Browne outlined the next deployments to Iraq in a written statement to MPs.

Two squadrons from the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR), of which Harry is a part, will be deployed. The rotation of troops will take place in May and June. A two-day stint with the Operational Training and Advisory Group (Optag) will have given Harry vital skills in areas such as cultural awareness, patrolling techniques, mines awareness, managing crowds and basic Arabic.