HMS Protector (A173)

	HMS Protector in 2011
History
Norway
Name	Polarbjørn
Namesake	Polar bear
Owner	GC Rieber Shipping, Bergen, Norway
Builder	Western Shiprepair Yard, Klaipėda, Lithuania (hull); Havyard Leirvik, Leirvik, Norway (outfitting);
Yard number	076
Laid down	30 September 2000
Launched	21 July 2001
Completed	22 October 2001
Homeport	Bergen
Identification	IMO number: 9233997; MMSI number: 257870000; Call sign: LARY5;
Badge
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Protector
Owner	GC Rieber Shipping, Bergen; September 2013: Royal Navy;
Operator	Royal Navy
In service	2011
Homeport	HMNB Devonport
Identification	IMO number: 9233997; MMSI Number: 235086758; Call sign: GXRK; Pennant number: A173;
Status	In active service, as of 2019
General characteristics
Type	Research ship & Icebreaker
Displacement	5,000 t (4,900 long tons; 5,500 short tons)
Length	LOA 89 m (292 ft 0 in); LBP 80.4 m (263 ft 9 in);
Beam	18 m (59 ft 1 in)
Draft	8.35 m (27 ft 5 in) (max); 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) (as icebreaker);
Ice class	DNV ICE-05
Installed power	2 × Rolls-Royce Bergen BR-8, 2 x 3,535 kW (4,741 hp)
Propulsion	Rolls-Royce controllable-pitch propeller; Brunvoll bow thrusters (800+600 kW), stern thrusters (1125+990 kW) and retractable azimuth thruster (1500 kW);
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing ; craft carried	1 × Sea-class workboat; 1 x additional survey/workboat; 1 x Fast Rescue Craft (FRC); 2 × Pacific 22 RIBs;
Complement	88 (accommodation for up to 100)
Armament	4 Miniguns (retired 2023; may be replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns); 5 General purpose machine guns;
Aviation facilities	Helicopter deck

HMS Protector is a Royal Navy ice patrol ship built in Norway in mid 2000. As MV Polarbjørn (Norwegian: polar bear) she operated under charter as a polar research icebreaker and a subsea support vessel. In 2011, she was chartered as a temporary replacement for the ice patrol ship HMS Endurance and was purchased by the British Ministry of Defence in early September 2013. As DNV Ice Class 05 the vessel can handle first year ice up to 0.5 metres (20 in).

^ ^a ^b "Polarbjørn". VesselTracker. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Protector (22866)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV.
^ "Ice / Support". GC Rieber Shipping. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
^ "Ice Patrol and Survey Flotilla". Royal Navy. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Polar Research/Subsea Support M/V Polarbjørn" (PDF). Multi Maritime AS. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 31. ISBN 978-1904459552.
^ "In focus: the 50 cal heavy machine gun in Royal Navy service". Navy Lookout. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
^ "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
^ "In focus: the versatile new workboats being built for the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
^ "In focus: HMS Protector – the Royal Navy's Antarctic patrol ship". Navy Lookout. 7 May 2019.

[vt-1] "Polarbjørn". VesselTracker. Retrieved 27 February 2011.

[dnv-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Protector (22866)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV.

[3] "Ice / Support". GC Rieber Shipping. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2011.

[4] "Ice Patrol and Survey Flotilla". Royal Navy. Retrieved 15 June 2014.

[multimaritime-5] "Polar Research/Subsea Support M/V Polarbjørn" (PDF). Multi Maritime AS. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.

[Steve_Bush_2014-6] Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 31. ISBN 978-1904459552.

[7] "In focus: the 50 cal heavy machine gun in Royal Navy service". Navy Lookout. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.

[thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com-8] "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.

[navylookout.com-9] "In focus: the versatile new workboats being built for the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2023.

[10] "In focus: HMS Protector – the Royal Navy's Antarctic patrol ship". Navy Lookout. 7 May 2019.

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History
HMS Protector in 2011
Norway
Name	Polarbjørn
Namesake	Polar bear
Owner	GC Rieber Shipping,^[3] Bergen, Norway
Builder	Western Shiprepair Yard, Klaipėda, Lithuania (hull)^[2] Havyard Leirvik, Leirvik, Norway (outfitting)^[2]
Yard number	076^[2]
Laid down	30 September 2000^[2]
Launched	21 July 2001^[2]
Completed	22 October 2001^[2]
Homeport	Bergen
Identification	IMO number: 9233997^[1] MMSI number: 257870000 Call sign: LARY5
Badge
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Protector
Owner	GC Rieber Shipping, Bergen September 2013: Royal Navy
Operator	Royal Navy
In service	2011
Homeport	HMNB Devonport
Identification	IMO number: 9233997^[1] MMSI Number: 235086758 Call sign: GXRK^[2] Pennant number: A173
Status	In active service, as of 2019
General characteristics ^[2]
Type	Research ship & Icebreaker
Displacement	5,000 t (4,900 long tons; 5,500 short tons)^[4]
Length	LOA 89 m (292 ft 0 in) LBP 80.4 m (263 ft 9 in)
Beam	18 m (59 ft 1 in)
Draft	8.35 m (27 ft 5 in) (max) 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) (as icebreaker)
Ice class	DNV ICE-05
Installed power	2 × Rolls-Royce Bergen BR-8, 2 x 3,535 kW (4,741 hp)^[5]
Propulsion	Rolls-Royce controllable-pitch propeller Brunvoll bow thrusters (800+600 kW), stern thrusters (1125+990 kW) and retractable azimuth thruster (1500 kW)^[5]
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 × Sea-class workboat^[8]^[9] 1 x additional survey/workboat 1 x Fast Rescue Craft (FRC)^[10] 2 × Pacific 22 RIBs^[6]
Complement	88 (accommodation for up to 100)
Armament	4 Miniguns^[6] (retired 2023; may be replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns)^[7] 5 General purpose machine guns^[6]
Aviation facilities	Helicopter deck