Posted on 11/08/2005 6:10:31 PM PST by neverdem
Associated Press
MIAMI – The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off the eastern coast of Africa, the cruise line says.
The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off the coast of Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.
The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.
Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said.
The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the deadly 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.
The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected.
American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels.
The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.
"Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates."
These weapons should not be aloud. Harmful to dolphins and whales. :)
Disney should send one of their cruise ships into the Indian Ocean with machine guns hidden on it and advertise the adventure as "Pirates of Somalia Cruise" passengers could dress up as Mickie Mouse and take pot shots at the pirates that attack.
Wouldn't getting "hit" with the sound waves cause physical discomfort or even tissue damage?
I'd guess that would create loud noises that the bad guys might find "uncomfortable."
I think a cruise ship will wind up being the next 9-11. Think about it, its so easy and a good test case was already done when they bombed the USS Cole.
Imagine two fishing trawlers, one with 5K kilo's of explosives and the other with gunmen. They can leave from any port in the world and travel unchalleneged to their target. Bomb boat explodes, mega cruise ship sinks in less that 15 minutes, gunmen with AK's to clean up everyone else. Total atackers less then 19 men and a death toll of many thousand, well eclipsing 9-11.
The sound generator and even heavy weapons wouldn't do you much good since you would probably not understand whats going on until its too late, and we cant have a destoyer follow every cruiseship wherever it goes.
Like the Q-Boats, eh?
Wasn't the Mk19 automatic 40-mm grendade launcher originally developed by the US Navy?
I don't.
And earplugs covered by earmuffs... even more protection.
Interesting. I hope the FBI, etc. are considering that possibility.
And if they send the same guys back, who are now deaf, they won't need any ear plugs at all.
That kind of sound could peel paint!
The only thing I can say about that is that is should have been 250 decibals.
Make their ears bleed.
But as ship as big as that one should probably have something even larger. A couple of single barrel 20mm cannon would surely discourage the snot right out of 'em. They were common secondary and anti-aircraft armament on torpedo boats, submarines, and other light vessels. Heck something that big could mount a 4 or 5 inch deck gun. Liberty mounted at least one, and more often two, a 3 inch forward and 5 inch aft, along with 10 or so 20 mm cannon, and they were much smaller than a modern cruise ship.
My uncle was Naval Armed Guard on the SS William Clark, Torpedoed and sunk by U.354 in Greenland Sea at approx.71.05N 13.10E on 4 Nov 42.)
Uncle Lennie survived the War, but some of his toes did not. (Frostbite, it's dang cold in the Greenland sea in November.)
Concur, but I think they have problems with lifeboat drills, much less GUNNERS, man your battle stations.
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