Polar Class Patrol Vessel

A patrol ship certified to an IACS Polar Class (PC1 to PC7) for independent operation in ice-covered polar waters, used for sovereignty patrol, fisheries enforcement, and search and rescue. The Polar Class scale runs from PC1 (year-round operation in all polar waters) to PC7 (summer/autumn in thin first-year ice), and pairs with the IMO Polar Code ship categories A, B, and C under MSC.385(94)/MEPC.264(68), in force 1 January 2017. Canada’s Harry DeWolf-class is rated Polar Class 5.