Coastal Patrol Boat (PB)

A small constabulary craft, typically under 50 meters, for inshore law enforcement, fisheries control, and search and rescue inside the territorial sea (UNCLOS Article 3, up to 12 nautical miles) and contiguous zone (Article 33, to 24 nm). Coastal patrol boats trade endurance and seakeeping for shallow draft, speed, and low cost, and rarely carry more than a light gun and small-arms. They complement larger offshore patrol vessels, which extend enforcement into the exclusive economic zone (Article 56).