There are many forms of protection that does not involve firearms. One is a microwave gun that heats the adversary up or sonic weapons that will create a instant migraine. But I doubt that these will work on blood thirsty pirates.
As the US Navy has less and less influence in international waters, expect this piracy thing to be the norm.
And I would’nt trust a Somalli to defend a peice of crap on dry land. but I think that whole region is the same, so what do I know.
I thought so - Blackwater is expanding. I wonder if they’re hiring?
Blow a whole bunch of the pirates out of the water. When enough of them die, they will go on to something else.
One thing works. Destroy their sanctuaries. Or shut up and pay them off, and expect to keep paying them off forever.
I’ve been saying for several years that the PMCs could do this and rake in the cash. I just wish I had been in a position to do something about it back then.
Maybe something similar could be done against these pirates. There could be pickup and drop off locations at each end of the transit routes through the piracy area. Ships entering the area would pickup crews and weaponry at one end and drop them off at the other. You wouldn't have to install really heavy ordnance. Lightweight 20mm and .50 cals (along with NVGs) would probably be enough. From the news reports I have read the Somali pilots are not heavily armed - basically just fast boats with AK-47s and RPGs.
Probably oversimplifying a bit but its worth considering. As for the pirates operating bases - can you say "ARCLIGHT?"
Didn't pirates set a French tanker on fire a couple of years ago?
We know where the pirates are: weaponry in the form of an oil tanker "Q-ship" would be very effective.
It would take an NGO to operate it, IMHO. (Like the SMS Seeadler mentioned earlier).
Only complete and total fools are compelled to repeat the lessons of history. Sadly, that includes about 52% of the American electorate if we count both real and imaginary votes.
Are they morons or just in the pay of the pirates. "Pirates, may I please have your attention? None of our ships are armed. If you try to take one, the crew will not resist and we will immediately pay 10% of the cargo's value. The next Intertanko ship to cruise through your waters will pass Somalia Tuesday afternoon."
"Daddy, what do you do at the office?"
"I'm an Intertanko executive. I grovel in front of pirates and then surrender. It's an important job."
"Gee, I can't wait until I'm big so I can grovel and surrender too!
The piracy case in Somalia is a perfect example of victim disarmament at sea. Most merchant ships are forbidden by their countries’ laws from having weapons on board (a ban which is enforced by rigorous inspections), which leaves a 20.000tn ship worth hundreds of million of dollars vulnerable to a pirate dinghy with a crew of five armed with AKs and RPGs worth a few hundred bucks. So do we allow owners to spend a few thousand dollars on weapons and private security on board? God forbid! No, much better to send a carrier group, or just nuke the high seas.
At present the war navies of India, Russia, Britain, the US, Malasya and a NATO taskforce are in the Gulf of Aden playing cat-and-mouse with a few Somali pirates. An EU fleet is on its way.