This paper presents a classification approach, its expected performance, the dependence of this performance on radar system performance, and expected ice scattering characteristics. Results using both aircraft and simulated ERS-1 SAR data are presented. The results are compared to limited field ice property measurements and coincident passive microwave imagery. An algorithm based on this experimental approach has been implemented in the geophysical processor system at the Alaska SAR Facility for classification of sea ice data in ERS-1 C band SAR data. The importance of an integrated postlaunch program for validation and improvement of this approach is discussed. -from Authors